Bloodstone
by voilawriter
Summary: Ignorance is bliss, or at least that's what people say. Bonnie attempts to go back in time and prevent herself from ever finding out about vampires and witches. But she goes back much too far, like 1864 too far. And the return trip? Full of stopovers.
1. Soccer Mom vs Peter Cottontail

**Disclaimer: This is a blanket disclaimer, because no matter how many chapters of this story I publish, or how long each one take to write, I will still never own _Vampire Diaries._**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Soccer Moms vs. Peter Cottontail**

_Maybe there's a chance for me to go back_

_Now that I have some direction._

_-Home, The Wiz_

When I was five years old I met Damon Salvatore for the first time. I didn't know it was him until much later in my life- I just remembered him as the nice man who dressed in dark clothes. It wasn't until I found a picture in a box of Grams' things that I made the connection. It's not that surprising I guess- that I didn't remember him that is- a five year old's memory isn't that great. So when I made the connection I was kind of shocked that the demon that haunted my dreams was actually the same one that saved me from the Wilson's dog. I should have known that it was way to strange to be natural that Mercutio bit every single person he came across but me. The dog had been the sweetest thing to me ever since that nice man, Damon I guess, looked into his eyes and told him that I was Mercutio's new favorite person and that he would never hurt me-Oh my God he used compulsion on a dog! What kind of person does that? Understandably it was a mean dog, and it only made my life better, but still.

Anyway back to the point. I was five years old when I first met Damon Salvatore, and boy do I wish that the first time I met him was the last time. If he hadn't come back to Mystic Falls everything would still be okay. Matt's sister would still be alive, Elena wouldn't be torn between guys, Caroline would not have been abused, my Grams would still be alive, everything would be so much simpler, and god would I be a lot happier.

If I could go back, I would. I would warn myself to keep away from all the witchy stuff Grams had practically crammed down my throat and I would have just given the damn crystal to Damon. If I could go back I would fix everything. I only I could go back…can I? I am a witch after all. I'm sure that at some point Emily researched this. She researched how to do a lot of other stuff and was able to figure it out, I'm sure she would have thought about this way before anyone else could and started working on it. She was a much smarter person than I, she must have made the spell years ago. And that is when I started flipping through my ancestor's grimoire

* * *

Of course I found what I was looking for. Like I said Emily was a much smarter person than I, not to mention the most powerful witch in the Bennett line. She probably thought of this spell at five years old. It looked almost as simple as a small locater spell, I should have known that this was all was too good to be true. The spell was fairly simple, a one liner, and didn't even require that much power. I couldn't believe how easy this was going to be. Until I reached the catch.

Doesn't there always seem to be a catch? At first this whole witch thing was cool and then suddenly Boom, there are a bunch of blood thirsty, manipulative, super hot vampires in town. And now whoop dee doo there are werewolves too. Just great. Elena is dating a vampire, Caroline is a vampire, Tyler is a werewolf, Jeremy wants to become a vampire, or is turning into vampire hater because of some weird family legacy, oh, and my history teacher is a vampire hunter who had a vampire ex-wife (who just happens to be the birthmother of Elena) and is currently dating Jenna the aunt of vampire dater Elena. What is wrong with this town?

So maybe going back won't get rid of all the drama, but it will make sure I don't know about it. I'll be completely ignorant, like Matt. And you know what they say? Ignorance is bliss. And boy can I not wait for bliss. But back to the catch. There, at the bottom of the page, was a small note.

_I have hidden the bloodstone in the Salvatore home, the one place I know both Katherine and Damon have no desire to go back to, who knows what either would do with this power. The brothers' father had died and the estate has fallen into the youngest brothers hands. Lorenzo I believe his name is. I have told him not to invite his older brothers in and he has also agreed to hide the bloodstone. He has hidden it in the main fireplace. He says that the fireplace will always remain. If the house burns down around it, the fireplace will remain, keeping Damon away. I hope he is right._

I should have known there would be some kind of gemstone involved. There always seem to be when Emily is involved. Even better though, the stupid gem stone is in the Salvatore mansion, a place long gone. How was I supposed to get the thing? Of course it says the fireplace will still be there, but I doubt it. But I guess there is only one way to find out for sure.

It wasn't there of course. Not that I really expected it to be. The whole place had fallen apart and the forest had taken over. I had been holding Emily's grimoire in front of me like it would point me towards whatever I needed. Which it didn't by the way. I hate my life. No fireplace equals no bloodstone. And no bloodstone equals no spell which equals no ignorant bliss for Bonnie Bennett. Damn.

"What are you doing here Bonnie?" I whirled around, clutching the book to my chest, and saw that Stefan was standing a few feet away.

"Stefan! Oh gosh you scared me. Why does it seem like we keep having these meetings?" Stefan's face lightened up a bit and he let off something like a cross between a chuckle and a snort before sobering up again.

"Why are you here Bonnie? You must know what this place is, or what it used to be that is, or you would not have come here. Is there something you need?" For a split second I wanted to lie, to tell him it was nothing. That I just wanted to get a feel for what life had been like for Emily and all that. But his face was so serious, yet kind and opens at the same time. How did he do that?

"What happened to the fireplace, the main fireplace?" For a minute he looked confused, before the concerned expression came back. Like he was concerned for my sanity.

"It was moved. When they built the boarding house they moved the fireplace. It didn't need to be refurbished or anything. It was almost as if it had a spell to never rot on it." He said the last part slowly, like he had just realized that it was very possible that the fireplace had been under such a spell. I tried to ignore his penetrating stare. I just nodded; trying to look like it meant little to me. Though, it obviously meant something. Stefan wasn't stupid, if it hadn't meant something why would I have asked about it? Why would I even know about it?

"Do you need to see it for something?" I once again had the urge to lie. I wanted to shake my head no. It was like part of my brain was trying to warn me not to do the spell. Well, I was not about to listen to the stupid part of my brain so instead of shaking my head I nodded.

"Could I, if it's not to much trouble that is." He smiled and motioned for me to follow him. We walked through the woods, back to my car, in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but it wasn't exactly a comfortable silence either. It was somewhere in between the two. The car ride was the same. As well as the walk from the car, into the house, and up to the fireplace. This was getting a bit ridiculous.

"It will be quick, and I will try to not break anything." Stefan nodded, not even bothering to ask what exactly I was doing to his fire place. I was quite shocked to find that the bloodstone wasn't hidden at all. It was in fact, directly in the center of the mantelpiece. In plain view of everyone, the accent point of the fireplace. Hiding in plain sight. Lorenzo was a genius. But just to make sure…

"Stefan, was that bloodstone always in the center like that?" He looked at the bloodstone for a moment, as if he had never questioned its presence before. Another spell of Emily's no doubt.

"No, it wasn't always there. It used to be amber, the amber piece is still in a box upstairs, I guess Lo- later Salvatore's wanted to change things up a bit."

"Stefan, would you mind terribly if I took the bloodstone? You could replace it with the amber again and it will be the same as it was originally. Plus it was Emily's bloodstone so technically it's mine anyways." Now he looked at me oddly. He didn't look mad or upset, or even confused. It was an odd look, and I had no idea what he was going to say.

"Sure, why not? Here let me help." In a fraction of a second he was across the room trying, with no success, to pull out the bloodstone.

"It's not coming out. I don't know what you want me to do Bonnie, it is stuck in there with more than just glue." He gave it one more go, pulling with all of his vampire strength…and still nothing. How did Emily perform so many spells?

"So Bambi and Thumper aren't making you the strongest guy around, no need to take it out on the furniture, Stefan. I'm sure the witch won't mind that you're not up to my standards." Damon threw me a wink as he walked across the room, I only sneered back in disgust.

"Why don't you give it a go then, oh mighty Damon, I'm sure soccer moms have been much more strengthening than Peter Cottontail." Damon responded with a shrug and reached towards the bloodstone. He looked completely at ease as he tried to pull it out, until it didn't come out. Than he tried harder. Just like Stefan he tried is hardest, I'm surprised the mantelpiece hadn't broken yet, and the bloodstone didn't budge.

"Why don't you guys let me try?" Both of the Salvatores turned to look at me with disbelief written all over their faces."

"We," Damon said motioning to Stefan and himself while he spoke in the voice you use with children, "are vampires. We have super strength. You don't." In a moment of complete immaturity I stuck my tongue out at him and tugged hard. I expected nothing to happen with my tug. Of course instead of nothing I ended up landing on my butt with a heavy gemstone in my lap and two vampires staring at shocked.

"We totally loosened it for her."

* * *

I had everything set up for the spell. I had decided to perform the spell in the woods, I didn't want to do it in my room because I might be in there. I had thought about doing it in the graveyard before remembering how much Elena used to hang out there. But back to the point, I had everything set up. I had read all of the notes and things. And boy, were there a lot of them. It had everything from; should bring extra items, may become displaced for a few days to Should not use this spell if you are pregnant or may become pregnant.

It also told me that I should bring along one or two items that will make my past future trust me. I had decided to bring the necklace Grams had given me when I was seven. My grandfather had made it for me-before I was even born. Or at least, that's what Grams had said. It was a bit clunky, and it always seems like it was missing something, so I stowed it away in my bag instead of donning it around my neck.

I clutched the grimoire, my bag, and the bloodstone tightly before closing my eyes and saying the spell that was far too simple to be true.

Jeg drar tilbake for å flytte frem

And then it went black.


	2. Intertwining Lifelines

**Chapter 2**

**Intertwining Lifelines**

_What do you say to taking chances_

_What do you say to jumping off the edge?_

_-Taking Chances, Celine Dion_

I woke up because someone was shaking me, hard. Plus there were voices. The loudest being of the person shaking me. The last voice I wanted to hear. The voice of Damon Salvatore. Why of all people did he have to be the one to find me?

"Come on, wake up!" I tried to swat him away but found I couldn't raise my arms.

"Do you think she's a run away?"

"There haven't been any signs up or anything about one like this. And look, she's hasn't got a mark on her. No dirt and certainly no scars."

"But what is she wearing; those look like the pants farmers wear?"

"Come on wake up." I finally managed to wake up and move my mouth.

"Leave me alone Damon, I can get up." Damon immediately jumped back, as if he had been burned. I sat halfway up, opening my eyes slowly.

"How does she know you brother, do not tell me you…"

"No, no I've never seen her before in my life!"

"Of course you have!" I then realize that Damon may not have met me yet. But if Elena was here than Stefan must have, we met almost at the same time.

"Well, at least you have Stefan." I turned my eyes to Stefan who looked terrified now that all the attention was on him.

"Why Stefan, she says your name so boldly. You must be quite familiar with her." What was Elena talking about?

"Elena what are you guys on? Of course you know me we've known each other since-." It was when I asked when they were on when they all looked down at the ground. I finally took in what they were wearing. It looked like what they had worn to founder's day. Except Elena wasn't wearing her vervain necklace.

"We are standing on the ground. Who is this Elena?" Neither Stefan or Damon were wearing their rings. The sun was shining brightly. They were dressed for a founder's day party. They knew no Elena. They didn't know me. _May become displaced for a few days. _More like a century.

"Oh Shit."

"Pardon me?" I was shaking my head ignoring them. This was not possible.

"No, no no. God no. How am I going to get back?"

"We could easily bring you back to wherever you have run from if that is what you are implying. Are you from the Lockwood estate?" What? Why would I want to go to Tyler's family estate. _You are in 1864._ The Civil War is going on. There are slaves! Shit! I shook my head, there was only one way out of this place.

"I'm sorry, I must have disturbed you by knowing your names. You are Miss Katherine Peirce, correct?" I bowed my head, looking up slightly to see if she nodded. She did. How did slaves act?

"Would you mind letting me see Emily Bennett, I have some important things she needs." I was hoping that Katherine had not made the rings for Damon and Stefan already. This way she would think that I had the Lapiz Luzuli. Her eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly.

"Why of course you may. We were just heading back to the house now. I will make sure that you get to see Emily. Follow us." Stefan and Damon mounted two horses and I stood there staring disbelievingly at them while Stefan helped Katherine on to the back of his own horse. They expected me to follow them on foot.

"Here, take my hand. You can ride with me." I looked up to see Damon Salvatore, asshole extraordinaire, holding out his hand for me.

"Damon, do you really think that is wise, she is a-"

"Oh Stefan, it is fine. Besides, do you really expect her to run behind us the whole way back home?" I gratefully clasped his hand and pulled myself on to the horse. I was surprised when he made room for me in front of him rather than behind him but I positioned myself on the saddle regardless. I had taken riding lessons up until eighth grade but I had never ridden on a horse with another person on it at the same time. The fact that the other person was Damon made me even more nervous. Surprisingly though he didn't push me off the horse or make rude comments about my looks. In fact he didn't speak, no one did. I was scared we would crash; Damon was paying more attention to Katherine than the trees around us while Stefan was alternating between shooting me glares and staring at Katherine lovingly.

"How about a little race, brother?" I cannot believe Damon suggested a race! There were two people on each horse! I was going to fall off. We were going to lose, I know it. Not only am I heavier than Katherine by a long shot (she is so thin!) and I have a giant rock in my bag. Seriously, the thing felt like it weighed thirty pounds.

"Game on, brother." With that Stefan kicked the horse, hard mind you, and took off with Katherine laughing her head off behind him. Damon, of course, took off after them, leaving me to do only one thing. Hang on to saddle for dear life. Eventually I got used to it, settled back into my former love for the animal and remembered the right posture and such. It felt good to feel the wind in my hair again. Stefan was still a bit ahead of us and I felt the thrill of the race get to me.

"Hand me the reins and slide your feet out of the stirrups." I felt Damon stiffen slightly, shocked at my words. For a moment I thought he would refuse, I know Stefan would have, but he nodded and I took the reins and, with a lot of reaching, managed to get my feet into the stirrups. We immediately began catching up, Damon looked a bit confused, he couldn't figure out the change. I knew it was because he had been digging his heels into the poor horse's sides so hard the horse had been slowing down. I was much more of a kind encouraging rider. I can't imagine what kind of pain this horse must go through from Damon. If he's that violent to people I can't imagine what he does to animals.

"Make it look like you have the reins. You want to impress Katherine." His hands were immediately on the reins and I slipped my feet out of the stirrups, I didn't need them anyway. We passed Stefan and Katherine easily. I had to hold back my laugh at Stefan's face but Damon didn't bother. His laugh as a human is nice, care free. We finally made it to the gates and I handed the reins back to Damon fully, ready to climb off the horse. I figured I should try to keep up some appearances of the time. To my surprise Damon hopped off first and then preceded to help me off. We had already led the horse halfway towards the stables when Stefan and Katherine finally galloped into the driveway. Damon laughed again and then spoke to me in a low voice.

"I do not know how you did it, Miss, but thank you. Stefan has been beating me at every race since father bought him that new horse." I just nodded and smiled. Stefan had beaten Damon at everything. That must have sucked. Well, it must still suck. Though I guess I'm not that different. It's not like I could beat Elena at anything.

"It was the horse that did all the work really," I patted the horse's neck as I said this. "What is her name?"

"Her name is American beauty, but I call her Amber for short." I nodded and stroked Amber's neck. It was a good name for her.

"Speaking of names, do you have one?" We had put Amber in her stall and were walking towards the house as I thought about his question. He had asked me if I had a name, not what my name is. They still suspect me to be a runaway.

"Have you ever met a slave who knew how to ride a horse so well?" He shook his head and seemed to be thinking hard.

"You are right, I have not. But you still have not answered my question."

'Yes. I do have a name." He looked a bit frustrated but was not able to question me again before Katherine and Stefan reached us.

"I am shocked that you won brother. My horse surpasses your by far usually."

"Though the horse does the running the rider must be equally skilled to win the race." I was kind of shocked that I spoke up and by the look on the others' faces so were they. Had I just insulted Stefan?

"I would watch how you-!" Thank goodness his angry exclamation was interrupted by Katherine. I was afraid he was going to get out a whip.

"Those are wise words. Come with me. I wish to speak with you and Emily alone." I nodded and followed the vampire into the house, wondering if I should feel safe with Katherine or if I should be running for my life.

"So what else does Emily need, she has already made the rings I needed." So she already had both of their rings. Here I thought I might get away with that lie.

"I do not have a specific item. More like a warning for one of the Bennett line." Yeah, that one witch being myself.

"Is it a threat? Because I warn you, the Bennett line is well protected at the moment." I shook my head.

"It is no threat. I know what kind of people protect the line and I know they will for at least another century and a half." First Katherine would protect us then Damon. Vampires were bodyguards for us Bennett witches. Just then Emily came through a door way to meet us in Katherine's private corridors. She halfway bowed to Katherine before turning he gaze on me.

"Bonnie Bennett, what is wrong with you! I cannot believe you performed the spell, let alone came all the way back here! You are very lucky your Grandmother is so cautious or else you would get killed by tomorrow-!"

"Was. She was cautious." Emily's face softened as she pulled me into a hug. It was strange, this woman was my great- great- great- great- great- great-great- great grandmother but she didn't look even five years older than me.

"I apologize Bonnie, I don't know the exact time you have come from." I nodded and leaned into her arms. She reminded me of what my Grams must have been like when she was younger.

"What did you mean I am lucky my Grams is so cautious? What did she do?" Emily held me at arms length, studying me for a moment before answering.

"She had a spell that activates a chest in her home if you, or any other later Bennett witch performs the time spell. There was a box for each ten years, depending on the time frame, and a letter to the Bennett witch alive at the time. I received it a few minutes ago, presumably at the same time you showed up here. She has everything you might need in there. There are even some clothes from this time in there." She seemed to just notice the type of clothes I was wearing.

"Come on, let's get you changed." She ushered me into her small quarters, not sparing another glance at Katherine who followed us inside. Sitting on the small bed was an open wooden chest just as Emily had said. Sitting on top of the clothes was a small stack of papers. Looking at them I realized they were a birth certificate for someone with the last name Abella. The given name seemed to be blank and I realized that I was meant to fill in my name there. I eyed the certificate realizing it was one of two. This one seemed to be a translation of the other, which was written in Spanish. I was from Spain. Why would my grandmother do that? Thinking hard I realized that Eva Longoria had almost the same color skin tone as I do. My grandmother did not wish for me to be persecuted as an African American because of the time period. I wish I could thank her.

"Come now, Bonnie," Emily eyed the birth certificate, "Abella, we should get you into proper dress." As she was lacing up the corset so tight they I couldn't breathe she turned to her master (or is it Mistress?).

"Miss Katherine, do any of the Salvatores speak Spanish?" Katherine shook her head no.

"No, but they would not think her very well bred if she cannot speak at least one other language. They would prefer Italian but others may work too."

"Can you speak anything else, Bonnie?" I nodded.

"I've been taking French since second grade. I can speak it fluently. I know a few words of Spanish and Italian and I can hold a conversation in Mandarin okay."

"Mandarin? What is Mandarin?"

"Chinese. I took a few classes in it, I hope it would look good to the College I want to go to."

"You want to attend a University!" Katherine looked positively appalled. I forgot I was in 1864 for a minute there. Emily however ignored her.

"That will fascinate them. Jonathan Gilbert is infatuated with Miss Pearl and I am sure if you come off as friends with both her and Miss Katherine you will be accepted with open arms here." Katherine nodded absentmindedly. She still seemed to be caught up in the college thing. Emily finished buttoning up the back of my dress and smoothed my skirt.

"You must go now, the brothers will no doubt be wondering about all of this. I do not know how it can be explained-."

"I will introduce her as my childhood friend. I did not recognize her because of how much she has grown. The brothers will think I was not sure of her true identity in the woods and everyone else will think she is an actual childhood friend."

"And how will you explain why I called you Elena?" She thought for a moment before breaking out into a smile. It was disturbing how much she looked like my best friend.

"You will tell them it means something in Chinese." She then hooked arms with me and led us to where Damon and Stefan stood waiting.


	3. Rejection StingsAnd Then It Bites

**Chapter 3**

**Rejection Stings…And Then It Bites**

_You can't always get what you want_

_But if you try sometimes you might find_

_You get what you need._

_-You Can't Always Get What You Want, Rolling Stones_

"You seem just lovely Miss Bonnie. I can see why the language fascinates Jonathan, it is so…different." I smiled and nodded. Stefan's father wasn't all that bad. From the stories Stefan and Damon had told I'd been expecting a cold and heartless man, not this loving father.

"You should attend the founder's day celebration with us. I am sure that one of my boys would be happy to escort you, I believe they have finally finished fighting- ahem- deciding who will be escorting Miss Katherine." I'm not really sure why this made me angry, but boy did it. Maybe it was because of the glares Damon and Stefan sent each other's way or maybe it was because Katherine was sitting in between them, acting as innocent as a doe while she was driving a gigantic wedge between the brothers that would never go away. Or maybe it was because of how similar this was to Elena back home. But I masked my anger with another sweet smile.

"I'm afraid not, sir. I would rather not go to the celebration at all than be someone's second choice. Even if that someone is Damon Salvatore." Giuseppe Salvatore's eyes danced in amusement and disappointment at the same time while Damon just looked peeved.

"Why would you assume that Stefan is escorting her to the celebration, Miss Bonnie?" He sounded seriously miffed and I had to hold back the urge to shrug and roll my eyes. That would have been very unladylike.

"Well, Katherine and I are old friends, I know things like this. Also while your father was speaking Stefan had a very victorious look on his face."

"Are you sure that you would not consider attending with my eldest son?" I shook my head and gave him an apologetic look.

"If you will excuse me, I had a long journey and this day had tired me greatly." I heard Katherine give her own excuse over their father's "Of course, of course" and we both left the room in single file. When we were halfway down the hall Katherine pulled me into a room and stood in front of the door to prevent my flight.

"How did you really know who I chose?" She looked angry and I was sorely hoping the vervain in my system hasn't left me yet, I did not want to be her meal tonight.

"I know things that are going to come. I am not from this time, remember? I know how things are going to turn out. It was a minor slip up, I'll be more careful next time." She nodded and led me down several more corridors. Until we reached a hallway with two doors.

"These will be your quarters and these," She said switching her pointed finger to the other door, "lead to mine. Right around the corner, past the marble statue is Damon's quarters. And the door we just passed on the way was Stefan's. Not that you would need to know that, of course, I just thought you ought to know."

"Yeah, only you would need to know that ho." I muttered it under my breathe but I knew with her vampire powers she could easily hear my comment. I was hoping that my slightly modern word (ho) would throw her off a bit but I'm not sure it did. The only response I got was a small smirk gracing her lips.

"I will have to introduce you to Pearl; you need to be somewhat familiar with together if you expect to appear as if you know each other. I will meet you in your room in a quarter of an hour. I will call Emily to wait on you." I nodded and she disappeared into a blur. Silently I entered the room.

Instead of the bedroom I was expecting I was faced with what seemed to be a formal living room. There was a door outside to a small balcony and another door that lead into the bedroom. Off of the bedroom was a small bathroom. Or I guess a powder room or whatever they called it in these times. There was a toilet…I think. But there was no bathtub, it just had a metal tub. I assumed someone would have to fill it with water like you see in movies but good lord that sounded annoying. I am so glad I live in the twenty-first century and have modern-wait. Would I ever be able to get back?

If I wasn't able, what would I do? I would never see Elena, or Caroline, or Matt, or Stefan, or hell, even modern day Damon. What was I going to do? I couldn't stay here! In this time girls got married off to guys and never went to college! You were supposed to have at least two kids by twenty. I couldn't live in this world! I didn't have those money package things that come with a wife a…dowry! That's it, I didn't have a dowry. I would never be able to do anything. I suppose Katherine could turn me and I would just wait around for a hundred fifty years waiting for my time to come around again. Than the day I go back in time I would just slip back into my usual life, I doubt anyone would even notice. But a hundred fifty years? What was I going to do with all that time? I was interrupted by a sudden breeze from the balcony door. The door had been opened and standing in the doorway stood two vampires.

"Hello, you must be Bonnie. My name is Pearl, I am a friend of Katherine's, and this is my daughter, Anna Marie." In an instant Anna was standing next to her. It was odd seeing a dead girl walking, though I suppose I could say the same for Pearl. It was odd, I had met almost everyone I had met here in the future. Everything was the same yet everything was different at the same time. Katherine was Elena, Pearl was Caroline, Damon and Stefan were themselves, and I guess Emily was me. Or was she? She didn't seem to be friends with Katherine, more of a servant. So who was me? Was I, after all, the story was that I was old friends with Katherine. Did that mean I was Bonnie in both times, just like Damon and Stefan?

"Hello Pearl, hello Anna." We talked about trivial things, the lies that we would tell the villagers, who they were going with to the founder's day celebration, and other things like that. It wasn't very exciting.

* * *

"How did you know to call me Anna?" I looked wildly around, I had obviously zoned out for a bit. Both Katherine and Pearl had left but Anna stood before me a confused look on her face.

"Excuse me?" I was confused, that was her name in this time wasn't it?

"I prefer to be called Anna but my mother insists on calling me Anna Marie and introducing me as such, how did you know to call me Anna?" I really have to work on these slip ups.

"I know things. That's pretty much all I can tell you." Anna just nodded.

'Good night Bonnie." I smiled and repeated the same to her. Glad I was finally out of the constricting corset I had been forced into that morning. I was going to die from suffocation if I ever have to put one of those things on again. Which I will have to do, tomorrow morning. Just great.


	4. Sympathy For Jerks and Union Spies

**Chapter 4**

**Sympathy For Jerks and Union Spies**

_We don't like what we don't understand, in fact it scares us, and this monster is mysterious at least..._

_-Beauty and the Beast, Disney_

"I met a Spaniard once." I looked up from my book to see Stefan standing over me. I had told them I was going for a walk, hoping to get away from them for a while, but it looked like they had followed me.

"What are you doing here?" Behind him I could see Damon and Katherine laughing and joking around. That girl was such a slut. Stefan ignored my question.

"I was wondering if you may have known him." I looked up at him startled. What was he playing at?

"My homeland is a big country. Not as big a country as America, or the Confederate States of America, but still quite large. I have not met even one percent of its population, what makes you think I would know this man?" Once again he waited till I had stopped speaking but ignored my inquiries.

"He had a most interesting accent. It was hard to understand at times but it was quite unique. You do not have that accent, nor do you talk like a slave would. Your shoulders are not stooped from picking cotton and you have no whipping scars but you are not who you claim to be. You have no Spanish accent; in fact you speak almost like a northerner. Are you a union spy Bonnie? I had heard they were using women but sending a Negro?" He was accusing me to being a spy fro the union. Which I was I suppose, wasn't that far from the truth, I am a citizen of the United States of America and its not like I supported the South's side in the Civil War, but he was not going to find that out.

"Firstly, I am astounded and insulted by your accusations. How dare you question me? I am not a union spy; I am not even a citizen of America, any of them! Not that I need to explain to you but I speak with this accent because of who I spoke to in Spain. I had all British tutors, a governess from New York, and my friends were Katherine and Pearl. It is not a surprise that I do not sound Spanish. Like I would stoop to pick cotton, I am not a common slave that you can push around Mr. Salvatore! Do not mess with me, because I am not afraid of you." I finished my rant with a pointed finger at his chest and my chest heaving. I had just yelled in the face of a future vampire. I was so dead.

"What of your parents, they are Spanish are they not?" I remembered when Rosa, an immigrant from Ecuador, got angry or flustered her sentences would be peppered with Spanish. Deciding this may make my story more believable I tried using this tactic.

'Si! Of course they are! I am so sorry Signor, that my parents are not always around like yours are! They have important things to do. Now leave me be. Take your accusation and hate elsewhere." I had said the Spanish words in my best Spanish accent and had let a bit seep through into the English, hoping desperately it would work.

"Your book is not a very wise read. It is merely propaganda." What was he talking about? I looked down at the book in my hand, a book I was required to read over the summer for history class, _Uncle Tom's Cabin_. Now wonder he was suspicious.

"I think I will decide what is a wise read or not myself, thank you very much." Stefan looked slightly angry still but I ignored it. I exited the conversation by standing up and starting to walk away.

"Damon is a Confederate soldier you know. He is home on leave." It was just then that Damon and Katherine walked over.

"Stefan, Stefan, Stefan. Do you really have so little to brag about that you are left to brag about my exploits?" I would have laughed if I were anywhere else. At this point I just want to go home.

"War and killing is not a laughing matter. It should not be bragged about by anyone." My words seemed to surprise Damon and the haughtiness seemed to melt off his face, a sad and angry look entering his eyes.

"And what would you know of death and war, Miss Bonnie? What the newspapers tell you? War and death cannot be captured through still shots and badly written news articles. I doubt you have ever even seen someone die, let alone be shot at while trying to kill someone else."

"You are right that the newspapers cannot capture what this war really is. But I know. I have never been shot at, and I have never shot anyone with a gun. But I have known too much war, in too many forms, and I have seen people die, too many people in my opinion. I know people who think death is a game and the killing is fun, and they are monsters. I have caused the death of over twenty…people. I know what death is. I know what this is war is. Far too many people will die. And this war will be remembered as the bloodiest war in United States history. So I hope your leave is for a while longer, Damon, for though I am not sure how Stefan would feel with you gone, there must be someone who would miss you if you become one of the dead." With that I picked up my bag and walked away. Why is Mystic Falls so dramatic**all** the time?

* * *

"Why do you believe that we will lose the war?" I almost jumped out of my skin at the sound of Damon's voice. It seemed he had been gifted with the ability to sneak up on me, even as a human.

"Excuse me?" Damon pushed off the wall he had been leaning on and stood at full height for a moment before walking towards me, stopping a few feet away from me.

"Earlier today, when we were speaking, you said 'this war will go down as the bloodiest war in United States history.' The United States of America, as a whole. That would mean the Confederates lose and are forced to rejoin the union. You believe we will lose. Why?" Why did I keep slipping up like this? What was I going to say?

"I just believe this war is a mistake. I am not a union spy as Stefan thinks. But, I don't support slavery, or the way things were run here before this war. With all my body, heart, and soul, I believe that this war will end with the abolishment of slavery and the Conferate States rejoining the union." Damon laughed at my determined expression and passionate words. He was such an ass.

"And I suppose you believe that after the slaves get equal rights the women will too?" I looked him right in the eye, studying him for a few seconds. His eyes were dancing with laughter, he thought my thoughts were amusing.

"Yes, after the African Americans get equal rights the women will too, and the Native Americans too. We will all be equal and things will be good." He let his laughter out until, under my glare, he became somber again. The amusement left his eyes and was replaced by something much more serious. Desperation.

"Is there war in this perfect world of yours?" He looked like a man at the end of his rope, quite a bit like he did when he found out that Katherine wasn't in the tomb.

"The world is far from perfect, and yes. There is always war." I felt regretful of my words as I watched his face fall. What had he seen in this war?

"Will I see it, this world of equality?" I wasn't sure if he meant that it was coming soon, or he would see it at his death, or even that he was going to become a vampire and live through it. It didn't matter.

"Yes, you will see it. And so will I. And Stefan." I watched his lips form a grimace at his brother's name.

"I replaced him, in this the war. They have this system where you can hire someone to take your place. The draft called for Stefan, I replaced him so he would not have to go to war. That is why I didn't go back to the University. Father doesn't know, and I don't plan on telling him. It's just, Stefan seemed far too innocent for that yet." I did not know what to say, or do; I only stared at him in shock. Damon had gone to war for Stefan? I knew they hadn't hated each other back in 1864 like they did in 2010, but this was big. Suddenly Damon didn't seem like such a monster. He just seemed so...human.

"Good night Miss Bonnie." I nodded and watched him walk past the marble statue, rounding the corner to his room. I silently enter my room and waited for Emily to show up to untie this god awful corset. Instead of my currently young ancestor I got a vampire girl who looked the same as always. In the future she had _something_though. Here she was…timid. In the future she thought for herself, she had attitude, a personality. Here? She just did what her mother asks of her.

"My mother instructed me to come and help you undress." Way to prove my point Anna.

"Do you ever do anything without your mother's direction, Anna?" Her fast fingers paused on the laces and buttons for a moment. She didn't answer, instead deciding to continue unlacing the torture device wrapped around me. It didn't matter that she did not speak, I knew the answer.

"What would you do if she were gone?" Once again he paused, but she started up again quicker this time. Finishing undoing the corset before answering. Her soft voice filled the room while everything else remained silent, as if they were holding their breath in anticipation for her answer.

"I do not know." With that she was gone, the window open in her wake. She would know life without her mother soon enough.


	5. Plagued by Demons, Saved by the Devil

**Chapter 5**

**Plagued by Demons, Saved by the Devil**

_As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me... a horrible feeling of nausea came over me, which, do what I would, I could not conceal._

_-Dracula, Bram Stoker_

"George Lockwood, may I present to you; Miss Bonnie Abella." I held out my hand as he reached for it and said nothing as he brought it up to his lips for a kiss. I threw in a curtsy and a bowed head for good measure; it seemed to do the trick.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss, please come inside." I briefly wondered if he was compelled to invite anyone who Katherine or Pearl introduced to him inside, but decided that was highly unlikely. The Lockwoods were one of the founding families which meant either he or his father was on the council which meant he was stuffed full of vervain.

"So, Miss Bonnie, word around town is that you speak Chinese." Is that all anyone cares about in this town (other than staking vampires)?

* * *

"Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Founder's celebration in the coming week, Miss Bonnie?" The Miss made it sound so formal, it was getting so annoying!

"It would be my pleasure Mr. Lockwood. Now, would you mind accompanying me on a walk outdoors?" This town was teeming with vampires, vampires that had been invited into every single house. It felt so unsafe; I needed some sort of protection. He nodded and stood, pulling out my chair as well. When did chivalry die? After I smoothed my skirt once (these hoop skirts are huge!) he offered me his arm and I took it, he was my only chance at this point.

"Miss Bonnie what brought you to Mystic Falls?" The word 'Bloodstone' almost flew out of my mouth but I stopped it just in time.

" Would you mind holding this for me?" I said while slipping a small stone into his hand." Thank you. Well, it is not very often that Katherine and I are so close, we are hardly ever in the same country, so when I heard that she was in Virginia as well I simply had to come to Mystic Falls to see her."

"Is that all? You came to see an old friend?" Was he suspicious of me for something? Did he think I was a vampire? Well, time to get this over with.

"Truthfully Mr. Lockwood, there is something else." He tilted his head at my words ever so slightly, inclining me to go on. "There are terrible things in this time that we live in," and every other time too. "Creatures that are well hidden among us. There are more here than usual in a small town such as this, and I have no idea what draws them here. Do you have an idea of what I am referring to Mr. Lockwood?" He shook his head no and was looking at me like I was nuts. He had no idea about vampires then, great. As quietly as I could I whispered a spell under my breath before knocking the Topaz out of his hands. Now, did that work as Emily said it would?

"My mind seems to have wondered a bit Miss Bonnie, what were you saying?" It worked. Where did Emily even get the ideas for half of this stuff?

"Nothing of importance, I was just telling you a childhood story of Katherine and I's." What if he asked me to keep telling it? What would I say? I had-

"Well please start again, I apologize for my rudeness." Of course he wanted to know. What should I tell him? I know!

"Well when umm Katherine, Car-Pearl, and I were seven years old…"

* * *

"So tell me Bonnie, have you found an escort to the Founder's Celebration?" I smiled widely, probably looking highly unattractive but whatever. I had been here for what, three days, and I had already been invited to a big fancy ball. I feel majorly accomplished, no, I feel like I am Elena Gilbert.

"In fact, I have Mr. Salvatore. I'm sorry to say you will have to thrust Damon here on someone else." Damon gritted his teeth while everyone laughed; Mr. Salvatore really had been pushing me towards Damon. It was so nice making fun of Damon in this time; he couldn't even threaten to kill you with his vampire powers.

"Not that I would have escorted you anyway Bonnie, who is the unlucky man?" His voice wasn't even hurtful. It was almost like how I used to hear Elena and Jeremy speak to each other.

"I highly doubt he believes himself to be unlucky, Damon, he did ask me to accompany him, not the other way around."

"Oh just tell us who you are going with already." Stefan's comment surprised me. In the twenty first century he was nice to everyone, including me, and here in eighteen sixty-four he was nice to everyone- except me. What did I do to offend him?

"No need to be mean Stefan, she just want it to be dramatic. Her date is something to brag about after all." I smiled at Katherine. She was surprisingly nice. We would have been great friends in my time if she wasn't trying to kill me and everyone I cared about. Stefan had been right though, she was not like Elena. Sure they could both me manipulating but Elena was so… maternal. Katherine was nothing like that. She was calculating, smart, always one step ahead of everyone else, but she was also always there to defend me. It was odd; I'm beginning to trust Katherine more than I trust Elena. But that is probably due to the fact Elena cannot help me in this time, at all.

"This morning, George Lockwood asked me to accompany him to the Founder's celebration." It felt like I was back home, in a very uncomfortable dress, talking to Elena, Damon, Stefan, and some strange middle aged man about our social lives. Back home being asked to an actual date by Tyler was a big deal, and from Katherine's comments it was just as big of a deal to be asked by George.

"Bonnie, you must be so excited. We should pick out our dresses, the party is coming up soon." I nodded eagerly, it felt good to just have a normal talk about dresses. Even if it was about 19th century ball gowns, and I was discussing it with a vampire.

* * *

"Mr. Salvatore, could I speak to you for a moment." The man looked up shocked, apparently he had not heard me come into his study.

"Certainly Miss Bonnie, come in." For a guy who knew about vampires he invited people in way too much.

"I have to ask you a favor Mr. Salvatore." This was going to make him so suspicious.

"What is it Miss Bonnie?"

"Could you possibly supply me with some vervain sir?" His eyes grew as wide as saucers and when he spoke his voice was a low whisper.

"You know."

* * *

"You look absolutely stunning Bonnie, George Lockwood is going to pass out when he lays eyes on you." I shook my head, denying her words. I looked painfully pain next to her.

"Don't even try to deny it Bonnie. I may be a horrible person sometimes, but I don't lie," I gave her a disbelieving look at this point. "Fine, I don't lie to my friends." I smiled and looked back at the mirror. Katherine Peirce, the vampire that broke up the brothers, changed them, tried to kill Elena, changed Caroline, and held me up against the wall with her death grip was now my friend. Funny how things like this happen.

"Are you sure I look alright?" I eyed my hair one more time, while Katherine's was cascading in perfect curls down her shoulders and back, mine was pulled up in a thick bun at the back of my head. A few curls had been strategically left out of the bun but other than that it had all been pulled away from my face. I hadn't worn my hair like this since my sixth grade dance recital.

"I'll have to keep an eye on Stefan tonight because you look so gorgeous." I laughed, like Stefan could take his eyes off her for a moment.

"I doubt if I walked in there naked he would think me gorgeous. I am a union spy remember? Besides, even with that aside he would not notice me when he has you. You look beautiful." She smiled and twisted one of her curls around her finger.

"Come along Bonnie, we do not want to keep out dates, and Damon, waiting." I laughed at her added words. Apparently Damon did not ask anyone to accompany him tonight. How shocking. Though I have a feeling he will not be leaving the party alone.

"Yes, we would never want to do that." Giggling at out antics we linked arms and made our way down the halls to the main stairs. When we reached the last hallway we unlinked our arms and put on our serious, I am a proper lady faces. I watched as George sucked in a breath as his eyes reached the stairs. I couldn't tell who his eyes were on, me or Katherine, but there was no doubt where Stefan's were. His gaze was glued to Katherine. Damon was a bit iffy, he seemed to be alternating between us as we slowly walked down the staircase. First he stared, openly I might add, at Katherine, before switching to me, drinking up my whole appearance and then switching back.

"Miss Bonnie, you look breath taking tonight." He held out his arms and I took it.

"You look handsome as well George." I heard Katherine and Stefan murmuring similar things to each other. Goodness they looked so much like Elena and Stefan in the future.

"Yes, yes, they both look ravishing, can we head out now?" And Damon was the same as always, an impatient ass. I really need to think up a better insult than ass though, don't I?

I watched as George, my date, walked out of the main room with Katherine. If I didn't know what they were doing I would think that they were doing something very inappropriate for this time period. But I did know, Katherine was making sure that she was getting out of the tomb alive. I wanted to tell Damon that she was not going to be in the tomb, if we did not have to open it then Grams would not have died, but that might change so many things in the future, I cannot risk it.

"So, the girl I desired to go to this party with me just slipped out with the man that you accompanied. What do you think of that?" He said this all quite quickly, with very slurred words. I am more than pretty sure he is drunk. Lovely, a drunk Damon.

"I think that they are not doing what you seem think they are doing." Not that I would care if they were, I knew George had no feelings for me. He had been eyeing a pretty blond all night. It was better this way, I wanted to be home soon.

"Are you sure, let's give him something to be jealous about. How many times did he tell you that you look beautiful tonight Bonnie? Once? Twice? Three times? Not nearly enough. He needs some incentive to work harder." I pushed him away as he leaned towards me.

"I think that you do not care at all how I look or what George feels. You just want to make Katherine jealous. And you are drunk." He pouted a bit and I thought he was going to go bother someone else, Stefan maybe. I should have known better. Elena had told me that when she had said no he had forced himself on her. I should have known, Damon gets what he wants. Always.

"Damon, get off. Go get some other girl for- no- st-!" My struggles were hopeless. Even as a human Damon was much stronger than me, he had been through boot camp from the army after all. The kiss was surprisingly good, but I didn't give in. I kept pushing and I didn't let my lips move back in any way. I was not going to make out with a drunken Damon. I gave another push and, to my surprise, he came off. Standing over us was Katherine. I had never been so happy to see a vampire in my entire life. I stood up, practically running into her arms.

"Are you alright Bonnie?" I wiped the few tears that had escaped my eyes as I nodded. Katherine sent a scowl at Damon who just sauntered off, probably to get even more drunk. I looked back up at my savior, she still looked to much like Elena, though Elena would not have been able to pull off the death glare quite like this.

"I am fine. I apologize for having you see me like that." She shook her head and from the angry look on her face I thought that she was going to yell at me for kissing Damon.

"It was most definitely not your fault. Damon forced himself on you quite inappropriately, George has agreed." I nodded, trying to straiten out the beautiful dress I was wearing the best I could. Although her last peice of dialogue made it sound as if George disapproved of Damon's conduct, I knew what she truly meant. While Damon was assaulting me. George had agreed on her bargain.

One question though: why was I always being attacked by vampires? Or future vampires I guess.


	6. When Everyone Leaves You Can Only Follow

**Chapter 6**

**When Everyone Leaves You Can Only Follow**

_There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic_

_because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing._

_-Maya Angelou_

"They are taking me tonight. The Council members are rounding up all the vampires in town tonight and trapping them in the tomb under the church. The official story is that union soldiers fired on the church believing it contained weapons for the Confederacy." I nodded absentmindedly. I knew this was going to have to happen sometime, but I also know that Katherine would get away. I felt bad about Pearl though.

"You know of my deal with George Lockwood already. You know the future. Will we ever meet again, my friend?" I nodded, we would meet.

"Yes, we will. I know for sure we will meet again. I will not know you when you come back to Mystic Falls though, make sure to act like you do not know me. We do not want anyone to get suspicious." She nodded. I was staring at the mirror in front of me, staring at Katherine's reflection from where she stood behind me. She was so much like Elena, yet so different.

"I will miss you." In a sudden burst of emotion I was turned around, hugging a vampire. Her words may have been said in a seemingly emotionless tone but I could feel the truthfulness and feeling behind them. She had been a surprisingly good friend in my time here.

"I will miss you too, Katherine." She nodded and exited the room. She had to pack her bags for her departure.

As she walked out the door I picked up a pen, if you could even call it that; it was weird you had to put in cartridges and stuff like that, and a piece of thick paper. I needed to write a letter.

I had my all of my things ready. All my modern day clothes and things in the bag I had brought along and everything else in the wooden chest of Grams'. I had taken off most of my dresses and petticoats- leaving just a few layers of skirts and a corset on. When I rushed from the room to see what was going on down the hall it would seem as if I had been undressing for bed. After that, I waited. I lay out the simplest and easiest dress to maneuver. It only had a few buttons and I could get it on and off myself. I heard a door open and close, not even realizing it was mine.

"I am going to go say goodbye to Stefan." I nodded once, not wanting to look at my friends face. With that one nod I was sealing my friend's fate. She left the room without another word, heading down the hall towards the room that held Stefan Salvatore. It did not take long before I heard Katherine's cry of pain and Stefan's shout for help. As quickly as I could I ran down the hall, reaching the scene right after they had Katherine muzzled. I put on the perfect act, I cried and everything. Katherine gave me a wink when they were carrying her away and I gave a little wave. It would be awhile till we saw each other again. After the men had carried Katherine down the hall I rushed back to my room, pulling on the dress and doing up the buttons as fast as I could. I practically fell down the stairs in my haste to get out.

I arrived too late. Just as I reached the ten foot area Jonathan Gilbert looked down at the pocket watch slash vampire compass and realized it was pointing right at Pearl. With a start I realized that Anna was running towards him, she wanted to attack him for trying to take away her mother. I charged right back at her, slamming into her before she even reached the fringe in the trees.

"Listen to me closely Anna. You will see your mother again, she is going to be okay. But right now you need to get out of here. If you don't leave now, then both of you will be stuck in that tomb and you will not be able to get her out. Now go, and take this. I slipped the letter into her hand. "Don't open that until 2010!" With that we were off, in opposite directions. She ran further into the woods while I ran out of them. I must have appeared crazed because two men came and held me by each arm.

"Jonathan! This one was a friend of Pearl and Katherine's, you may want to check if she is one of them." Jonathan Gilbert visibly flinched at Pearl's name but no one commented. Instead they waited as he pointed the compass at me, waiting for the arrow to turn. Nothing happened.

"She is a human. Let go of her." Than I was off again, searching for Emily. She and her brother needed to pick up Stefan and Damon's bodies.

I reached the site before them. I had told them the road and they had gone to fetch the carriage. They needed a pretty large one to fit two grown male bodies without them being seen. I reached the site while Katherine was still there. George was immediately on guard, he would be shot if someone knew what he was doing, but Katherine waved his gun down.

"Emily is coming soon, they are moving the bodies. You need to leave. After Emily comes the search parties will. If you are caught who knows what will happen." I gave her one last hug. "Goodbye. Good luck." With one last look I smacked the horse's rear and the carriage took off. "Godspeed."

I looked at the two bodies of the boys I knew. Stefan's hair was neat and he looked like he was asleep, except for the bullet hole in his chest of course. I looked at his older brother. Katherine had not even bothered to close his eyes. Bending over I closed them ever so gently and fixed his hair as best I could. Good, now he looked as peaceful as his younger brother.

* * *

"You drank?" I knew it was going to happen, I had known from the beginning, but that did not mean that I approved. The poor girl that Stefan had compelled… I did not know this Stefan. The Stefan that would compel a poor girl (though actually this had happened in my time) and then beg his brother to drink. I am glad he is on an animal diet in the future, it has made him a better person.

"Stefan, he brought a girl to me, the thirst, I just couldn't resist." I gave him a sad smile. Reaching out I placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"It is going to be okay. You will see. One day this will all be okay." He looked up and gave me the same sort of twisted smile.

"Is that one day happening in that perfect world of yours?"

"The perfect world of ours. You get to live in it too." His eyes gained some of their hope back though they still seemed to be filled with despair

"You are sure about this?" Emily nodded once. I was wearing one of Katherine's dresses, she had left it behind with a note specifically asking me to wear it when I leave. Since we were, are, friends I figured I would do her the favor.

"Goodbye Emily"

"Zpátky do budoucnosti půjdu žít svůj život a najít můj domov ." And everything went black…again.

* * *

_'Zpátky do budoucnosti půjdu žít svůj život a najít můj domov.' = 'Back to the future I will go, to live my life and find my home.'_


	7. Oh Captain, My Captain

**Chapter 7**

**Oh Captain, My Captain**

_This is real, so take a chance_

_And don't ever look back._

_-Teenage Dream, Katy Perry_

"Miss, Miss." I was shaken awake once more by someone with a thick Southern accent. Who in the world calls a girl miss anymore? Please don't tell me I was 'misplaced for a few days' again. "The show is starting up again; you must have dozed off during intermission." I nodded and shook my head to shake the sleep from my mind. I must have fallen asleep during the school play, they were awfully boring. But what a strange dream. Who was I sitting next to? I knew everyone.

That is when I realized the room was filled with cigarette smoke. After I had cleared most of that away I realized what I was wearing. Katherine's dress. And no one was looking at me oddly for it. Maybe because all of the women were dressed the same way. Shit, I had been displaced again. Since I couldn't get up now, the play was just staring, I sat for a bit. The show was pretty odd. It was basically about this American guy and all the bad things his snooty British cousins think of him. Finally I decided to give up, I would go and find Emily so she could fix the spell. Standing up I tried to make my way through the aisle, luckily I was near the end.

"Excuse me, excuse me, thank you sir, excuse me…" I eventually made it out the door and into the main entrance, thank the lord because it smelled like a pigsty in there. What I was not expecting was a man to be there waiting for me. I should have known they would have some kind of attendant, this wasn't a modern day theater after all. He looked at me strangely, I was exiting the theater early after all, and I was so strange that he would question me that I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"Would you mind telling me where the ba- I mean washroom is?" He nodded his head good naturedly and led me through the directions. Go straight down the hall and turn, the first door on the left. I smiled and nodded before heading down the hall he had indicated. Imagine my surprise when at the end of the hall you could turn both right and left. And each had two doors, both on the left side. Merlin I hate that attendant man.

"Do you wish to go in Miss?" I looked up, startled, at the man standing in front of one of the doorways. I looked up, what was with this time and these weird attendants. Do you really need one to stand outside the bathroom?

"It is more of a need then a want, sir." I eyed him as he continued to stand in front of the door, nodding. "Am I allowed to go in?" He eyed me for a moment with a serious expression on his face. Was it really that hard to let someone into a bathroom?

"Normally I would say no, but because of your circumstances I'll let you in." What circumstances? Does he usually not let people into the bathroom? Deciding to let it go, I needed to get out of here and the bathroom window was my best bet, I walked through the door that he had opened for me. Who was I to deny entry to a bathroom, even if the guy outside it was an odd one?

The bathroom was strangely dark. I almost began to fumble around the walls for a light switch when I realized that I was still in the 1800's meaning there were no light switches. That's when I heard the voices. But these weren't just any voices, you know voices you hear when you go into the bathroom that you've never heard before and will never hear again. No, these voices weren't those, these voices were familiar. I had definitely heard them before. I than dawned on me, I felt rather stupid for not recognizing them sooner. They were the actors from the play. But the play was still going on which means…I was hearing the play as it happened. For an absolutely ridiculous moment I thought that they were letting you view the film from the bathroom, which was both gross and cool at the same time, before I realized that I wasn't in a bathroom at all, I was in one of those boxes. The things that rich people sit in when you go to the theater just to tell you they're better then you. Why in the world had the attendant, actually he was probably a guard, let me in?

"What are you doing here?" The woman's voice was sharp yet soft. As if she wished she could yell at me but didn't wish to raise her voice and disturb the other guests. I was too terrified to open my mouth. I had no idea what time I was in, how to speak, or what was going on. I thought it couldn't get worse, and than I heard the noise. Over my stay I had heard it one too many times in 1864. It seems that whenever anyone was upset, threatened, or anything at all they felt the need to draw their sword. So there I stood, a foreboding woman in front of me and a man with a sword drawn and pointed at my chest. When another man stood I thought he was going to sword as well but, to my surprise he did not. That he did not draw his weapon did nothing to comfort me though, he was the tallest man I had ever seen and I was already at a disadvantage, plus it was dark. What did fate have against me?

"Sheath your sword Henry, the poor woman is scared to death." He was still turning when he said this but when he fully faced me I almost fainted. Because there in front of me stood the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

"Oh my God." It's the only thing I could say. The phrase was probably not at all appropriate at the time in history but I couldn't even form a coherent sentence. I was standing in the same room as Abraham Lincoln!

"Not quite, I am only the president of one country." His wife scoffed at his words while the man in the military uniform finally sheathed his sword. I mean while just stood there gaping like a fish. Luckily, or unfortunately, I'm still not sure, I managed to get a few words.

"I'm sorry…I didn't…thought…washroom…guard…thank you, for everything." I just said something about a bathroom in front of the president of the United States. Can I smack my forehead now?

"You are welcome." He smiled kindly at me and I grew even more nervous. This was so awkward.

"You can go now." I have decided that Mrs. Lincoln (That's who I assumed the woman was) is as rude as Tanner was, she probably would have laughed if I didn't know who Marie Antoinette was too.

"Now now Mary, no need to be rude to her, the war is over, you should be in a better mood. Look down there, the funniest part is coming up; she'll never be able to get back to her seat with the theater in this state. Come sit, the show is almost over anyhow." I nodded as they pulled up a chair from the edge of the box. I sat in the dark as they all turned back to the play. My mind was reeling at the thought of me being in the same box as Abraham Lincoln, maybe that's what made me think so differently. As another man walked out onto the stage I glanced down at the ledge. There was a small gold plaque **Property of Ford's Theater.**

Abraham Lincoln. Southern man in Washington D.C. Ford's Theater

"Don't know the manners of good society, eh?"

Our American Cousin. The war is over. President Abraham Lincoln

"Well, I guess I know enough to turn you inside out, old gal — you sockdologizing old man-trap..." The laughter was deafening. I personally didn't find it that funny but I suppose I would have had to see the whole thing.

Abraham Lincoln. The war is over. Ford's Theater. The funniest part. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Ford's Theater just six days after the Civil War ended. He was killed at what many considered the funniest part so the laughter would help muffle the gun shot.

"No!" I had screamed it out as I turned towards the President who had saved me from being impaled by a sword. Both the First Lady and the soldier had turned to me as if I were crazy.

"No! No! No!" Mary finally turned her eyes towards her husband. Her eyes were filled with tears immediately. I think something inside her snapped. She began to scream while the soldier drew his sword once more. John Wilkes Booth parried the attack quickly though and injured the man. This man thought he was a hero. He felt no good for killing Lincoln. He was just like Damon. I turned to him.

"You will never be a hero Mr. Booth." With that I lunged at him. I must have looked awfully scary because instead of facing me he jumped off the balcony onto the stage, breaking a leg. I watched as he hobbled off while the crowd cheered for him. They did not know. They did not know what he had done.

"Be quiet! He killed the President! He shot him! Stop cheering!" I was leaning over the balcony yelling at the crowd but they paid me no mind. Mary Todd Lincoln was hysterical shouting many of the same things. I almost screamed, not that I wasn't already but this would have been from fright, when an arm wrapped around my middle and pulled me away from the balcony's ledge.

"Come on, you have to get out of here. You are drawing too much attention to your self." I nodded absentmindedly. There would be portraits of this assassination, I didn't want to be in one of them. I didn't even register who was pulling me away from the scene until we were well outside. I didn't really care, I had just watched one of the most famous men in American history get shot, I was in shock. It wasn't until I was in a dark back alley when I realized that Damon Salvatore was standing in front of me, and we were alone. This was dangerous.

"You are not even going to thank me for rescuing you?" He had that cocky smile they he would wear so often back in 2010. Would I be haunted by him for the rest of my life? I shook myself out of my stupor and smiled at him.

"Thank you, I would not want to show up in any history books." He nodded, it seemed as if he could not think of anything to say. But within seconds his face grew dark and I knew he wanted to ask me something. He was upset. Three guesses as to why?

"Why are you not in the tomb? Why is Katherine stuck in there while you are out here, attending the theater?"

"I could the same to you Mr. Salvatore. You are, after all, attending the theater as well." He emitted a sound almost like a growl. This guy was taking the vampire thing way to seriously.

"I was not one of Katherine's friends, her family. I was not a vampire when they came. And look at you, looting her wardrobe." Jackass, like I would steal from Katherine's closet.

"First of all, she gave this to me before she left. Second of all I was not a vampire either, I still am not one, so you can stop judging me." I regretted the words as soon as I said them. His dark eyes had acquired a strange gleam to them and I realized just how close he was standing. I had just admitted that I was practically defenseless. Great.

"So you're not a vampire hundreds of yeas older than me. Do you know what that means little one?" He was practically whispering in my ear by now and a shiver ran down my spine. Was it from fear or attraction? I don't know. Let's face it, whether he's seducing you, attacking you, or threatening your life Damon Salvatore is always infuriatingly sexy. Boy, does that irritate me.

"I am a whole lot stronger than you right now." With that I was pinned up against the brick wall. His hands holding each of my wrists above my head. Was he going to kill me or have sex with me? Or…both? Hopefully the second before the first, the other way around is just disturbing.

"You can't" The words came out in a whisper, but not a shaky one. The words were clear and strong so I knew he heard them.

"And why is that cara?" He purred the Italian and another shiver went down my spine. Be strong Bonnie.

"I am a Bennett witch, the line that you have sworn to protect, you cannot kill me." He recoiled in shock, letting go of my hands for a moment. Though not long enough for me to get away. I may be a witch but I don't have vampire speed, he had me pinned up against the wall again within a second.

"And why should I believe that? Your family name is not Bennett. You are just spouting nonsense to save yourself." I had almost forgotten about the lies I had fed the people of Mystic Falls.

"It is called lying Damon, I am sure you are familiar with it. If you want any more proof…well I'm sure you'll feel it somewhere inside of you that I am telling the truth."

"What-?" But that was all he got out before his head exploded in pain. I love that spell. Sighing I let the spell go, I couldn't kill him just yet.

"What did you do to me?" He was gasping for breath. I thought vampires didn't have to breathe?

"It's a Bennett witch thing. Now let go of me before I set you on fire." He immediately let go and backed away, Katherine had obviously given him a lesson on vampire safety.

"We'll meet again Bonnie, when you don't have the advantage. And then you will rue this day ever happened." With that he was off, out of the alley and out of my sight. Had he just said that I would rue this day? Lovely. I wonder if that is why he attacked me back when Emily destroyed the crystal? So that I would rue this day. I cannot believe he just said that, I will have to tell Caroline and Elena about this if I ever see them again.

The world seemed to be fading out. But I hadn't even said the spell! It couldn't do that? Had something happened to make the spell malfunction? I didn't have time to think anything else because my vision went black and I was lost in time once more.


	8. A Living Ghost Town

**Chapter 8**

**A Living Ghost Town**

_You had a lot of moments that didn't last forever_

_Now you're in a corner, trying to put it together_

_How to love._

_Lil' Wayne, How to Love_

I was alone. I guess that was better than the other times when I woke up to someone shaking me. I might be in a time where my outfit would not be the norm. I could tell right away that this wasn't my own time, that it, unless I was in some sort of theme park. I was slumped up against a wooden wall. In front of me there was nothing, and I mean nothing, except sand and a few sparse bushes. Standing up, I brushed the sand and dirt that clung to my dress and hair. I needed a shower.

I could hear voices and other noises coming from behind me and I turned, taking a few steps back from the wall I had been leaning on. It was made of unpainted worn wood. I swear that there were a few bullet holes in various places. It looked like it had been built in quite a rush; there were pieces of wood nailed up like patches all over the wall. I sighed, hoping that I wouldn't have to witness another death today.

I usually disappeared at night, or at least the last two times that is when I disappeared so I thought it might be a pattern, and I had no idea what I would do till then. I couldn't exactly stay leaning up against this wall all day. Where would I go? I could always see where the noise was coming from, it sounded like there was a town around the corner and I wanted to see what was going on. But my clothing was a problem. What if it had been fifty years since the civil war and I looked so odd that they questioned me or something? What would I say? Deciding I would risk it, I peaked around one side of the building. No one was there, just the back of buildings. It was like a whole line of buildings standing side by side, all facing the same way. But in the distance was one building that had a door. If I could sneak in there I could steal some clothes and than no one would bother me.

Without really thinking my plan through I made my way to the door. It was unpainted and weather beaten, just like all of the other wood the buildings were made out of. I was about to reach out and try the knob when the door opened, almost hitting me in the face. A kindly looking woman stood in the doorway. Her expression went from shocked to worried in less than a second.

"Oh deary, what are you doing out there, you must be sweltering? What are you wearing; this dress is for city folk, not us in the miner towns. You must be from the east. Who put you on the train in that outfit? Or are you one of those sinful girls coming out here? You don't look like one but you never know these days. Here let's get you out of that dress; I'll go get you something else to wear in the meantime. Sarah, come help this young lady out of her dress." While the woman bustled about before heading into another room a young girl, probably ten or eleven years old, smiled at me before beginning to unlace Katherine's dress. When it was off I let out a long exhale, the dress made it awfully hard to breathe.

"What is your name?" It as Sarah from behind me, still loosening my corset.

"Err… Bonnie Abella. What is yours?" She had loosened it so I could breathe but instead of answering she had walked around so she faced me. Her eyes were wide and her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.

"You can't be…would have told everyone…unless you didn't write…but why wouldn't you have…surprise…everyone's gonna be excited…except Lucy…finally back off maybe…" Her comments made no sense to me. Had she been in Mystic Falls in 1864 and I had just not known it? Was I only a few years in the future? But wouldn't she have recognized me right away then?

"Excuse me, what are talking about?" Before she answered the woman, who I assumed to be Sarah's mother, came back in, a dress in hand.

"Here it is dear; you may want to get that on soon. The men will be coming back to town for lunch in a bit. We don't want any of them to see you in this state now do we? Haven't seen a pretty girl like you in a few years I bet. I am Mary Callery by the way, and this is my daughter Sarah, what did you say your name was?" The name Sarah Callery sounded awfully familiar but before I could answer Sarah began jumping up and down in excitement.

"This is Bonnie Abella Mama. The Bonnie Abella!" Mary's eyes lit up in excitement and for a moment I thought that she was going to begin jumping up and down like her daughter. She paused for a moment while Bonnie put on the dress that Mary had brought her. It was a simple blue with small white flowers on it. Not her first choice, but better than Katherine's dress that was cutting off her blood flow. As soon as she had it up Sarah began to button up the back, working much faster than she had before.

"I'll fix your hair, Bonnie; it's a bit out of place. We wouldn't want him to see you like this." I nodded absent mindedly even though I had no idea who she was talking about. How did they all know me?

"Sarah, I doubt she is who you think she is. How would she even know to come to this town anyway? You know that she never wrote him, the mail carrier told me so."

"Why else would she be here Mama? She had nothing with her, it does not seem as if she is opening a business, she would've had to bring at least some money for that. She has to be here for him. There is no other reason. Oh, this is just so romantic."

"Oh stop being such a romantic, these men will take advantage of that you know. Now why don't we just ask her? Bonnie dear, do you-?"

"Mary! What's lunch today? The shout came from somewhere in the front of the building, which was turning out to be much bigger than Bonnie had thought.

"Come on Mary, the rest of them will be coming in for lunch in just a moment. You can come and sit in the front room and I'll serve you lunch dear, we always have extra." I followed them out the door without a word. We went through another room, what seemed to be a kitchen, before coming out into the front room. There was a bar on the far wall and tables filled the rest of the room. I almost groaned out loud when I saw men coming through the doors. The doors were those swingy doors that you always saw in western movies and the men? There were cowboys among them. They had boots with Spurs and those hats. I was in an old waster film. Yay. I took a seat at one of the tables near the corner, trying not to draw attention to myself. And it worked…for awhile. Like Mary had said, they hadn't seen a lady in awhile.

* * *

"Haven't seen you around these parts before, what's you name pretty lady?" I looked up to see a man walking towards me and many of the others had gone silent, noticing me for the first time. I was too scared to say a word. Mary was in the kitchen getting more bread, Sarah was…doing something that wasn't here and I was in room full of sex starved men. I gulped, he was tall, and easily three times my size and all I could see was the gun at his side. There were too many of them, I wouldn't even make it within ten feet of the door.

"I said what's your name?" He was much to close for comfort now. Leaning down from behind me and breathing on my neck as he spoke.

"I would take a step back if I were you Sam." Sarah stood in front of me, her face mature beyond her years and her words as harsh as her words had sounded.

"Oh yeah, and what are you going to do about it little Sarah. Run to your Mother? Neither of you can hurt me." Her expression didn't even falter. There was confidence rolling off her in waves.

"You're right I can't do anything to you, and neither can my mother. But I still wouldn't touch her if you value your life." He was grinning I could feel it as my hair on the back of my neck stood on end. Why wasn't I doing anything? I could take down a vampire yet I was scared of his man.

"And why is that Sarah? You just told me you can't do anything." This girl had to be older than I had originally thought.

"Well normally you could have her. I wouldn't be able to do anything and neither could anyone else. But there is just one small factor you don't know about her."

"Why does her name matter, I don't really plan on talking to her now do I?" I thought I heard a chuckle from behind Sarah. And that is when I snapped back into reality. Why was I letting a ten year old fight my battles? Why was I being so spineless and letting this guy walk all over me? I stood up suddenly, hoping that Sam would immediately take a step back but instead he got even closer.

"Her name is-." I cut Sarah off. This guy was going too far.

"My name is Bonnie Abella; now get your hands off of me." I had turned around and at my name he had immediately retreated a few steps. What was it about my name that made him so scared? Or Sarah so happy? I gave him a cold icy glare.

"Never touch me again." He was backed up into the corner cowering. My temper was scary yes, but it never scared people this much unless they knew what was coming. And this guy had never seen my temper before, he would have no idea what was coming. And if my estimates and history lessons were right women weren't exactly feared in this time period.

"I swear I wasn't trying to do anything. I wasn't even touching her. You know women they over react. He was no longer looking at me and from the way he was talking he definitely wasn't talking to a woman. I turned slightly and found myself standing slightly in front of Damon Salvatore. I had never been happier to see a vampire, not including the time Katherine had saved me from human Damon.

"Damon," I breathed out. I felt much safer than I should with him around. But I couldn't help it, this felt just like a movie Caroline would watch.

"Bonnie, you didn't write to tell me you were coming." His face was hard and he wasn't even looking at me. He was still giving this Sam guy a cold death glare. If this guy turned up tomorrow dead, we'll know who did it.

"Well, you know I really have no control over where my elders send me. I didn't know that I was coming here until only a few days ago." Or a few minutes really, but everyone else in the room didn't need to know that.

"Damon, you take your girl outside, we'll take care of Sam here. You don't know how long she's staying." I swear Damon was fingering the gun by his side, why was he so mad about this it was only me, but he didn't take it out. It had been an older man who said it and everyone looked at him like they wouldn't go against what he said so I assumed he was the sheriff or something. Mary pressed two containers, which I assumed held the soup that was for lunch, into Damon's hands and he gave her a smile and a thank you. He shot Sam another death glare before turning on his heel and storming out. I gave Mary and Sarah a wave and a smile before following him out.

I went out the front entrance, onto the street for the first time. This was truly a ghost town. Except there were people in it, not ghosts. No not many people were in the streets at the moment, it seemed like everyone in the whole town was at Mary's for lunch. Though it wasn't really a large town, it was just a street. He had waited until I was out the door to continue walking again but he did start up again, still not saying a word. He walked all the way to the end of the street where there was one bench in front of a pharmacy. He sat and I sat beside him.

"Damon, why does everyone know my name?" His hard angry mask broke and he looked sheepish. Yes, Damon Salvatore was looking at me sheepishly. He had obviously not perfected his mask yet.

"They all have girls back home. Whether it's mothers, sisters, wives, or girls their courting. I didn't, and I didn't feel like being caught in my own lies and I couldn't really think of a name on the spot. So when Will asked me if I had a girl back home your name just kind of popped out of my mouth. Than they wanted to know about you and how we met and things like that and everything just tumbled out. I didn't lie at all, except for the vampire part, and I stopped telling them the story on the day that Katherine disappeared. I said that's the day I left for out west. They assumed we had fallen in love, that I had left out some of those parts. I nodded. Why hadn't he told them about Katherine, eh was the one he was in love with after all? Suddenly the vampire beside me stiffened.

"What is it?" I whispered, I felt as if someone was watching…or listening.

"They're all watching from the window. Sam is skeptical, he is wondering if you were telling the truth about your name, and if I were telling the truth about me courting you. Which I didn't really tell them." He added the last statement quickly and I smiled. He was kind of cute in this time.

"Well there's only one way to convince them." He looked confused.

"And what is-?" I cut him off by throwing my arms around him and kissing him soundly. I didn't know if this was appropriate and I didn't really care, it wasn't like I'd be staying long anyway. They kiss was much better than our last. Firstly because Damon wasn't drunk and practically assaulting me, and two because vampires just made everything…sexual better. It was fact, don't judge me. But it was more than that. Our lips, well, they fit. Much better than mine and Tyler's, or mine and Ben's. We moved together well. After a few minutes, though it seemed like longer, he detached himself from me.

"I think they're convinced" I chuckled along with him. That was the best kiss I had had, ever. It was making me positively giddy.

"I'll have to go back to the mines soon. What will you do when I am gone?" I was so confused. Why was he going to the mines? What was he even talking about.

"Mines?" He looked at me like I had just drooled.

"Yes, that's why I'm here. I'm going to make millions."

"Millions on what?"

"On gold, Bonnie, on gold. I am going to find a gold mine and become richer than imaginable." I had always wondered how Damon got all his money. I had figured he had just kind of accumulated it over the years, but who knows? Maybe he found gold.

"Oh. Well, that's nice. Do you think you can make me a necklace out of this gold you find? I've always wanted a man to give me jewelry, and since you seem to be in love with me enough to tell all your friends about me I figure you're the perfect candidate." His ears were tinged a bit pink at the mention of his bragging about me but his face showed no sign of embarrassment.

"I'll make sure to do that, Bonnie. I do owe you quite a bit after all." I nodded, he did owe me a lot. Damon Salvatore was in my debt, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Damon!" The call came from the man who had been reasonably polite to me earlier. The venerable authority figure. "We're heading off, do you want to take the rest of the day off?" For a minute I thought he was going to say yes and stay with me on this bench forever but instead he stood up, shaking the dust off of his jeans and grabbing a pick ax from one of the men.

"When are you getting back?" I looked up at him earnestly. He probably thought I was acting but I really did want him to stay. What? He's gorgeous, much too gorgeous to be legal. He smiled down at me softly, playing the part of a love stricken young man perfectly. He was probably imagining that I was Katherine is his head, sigh.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." With that he leaned down and kissed me softly on the lips, nothing like the fiery embrace we had met in before. It was sweet, like first kisses are supposed to be. I heard a few groans from behind him as he continued to kiss me, never asking for anything other than simple kissing. There wasn't even any tongue involved.

"Come on Damon, you'll see her later." He pulled away, seemingly reluctantly. I smiled at him, dazed. I felt like I was in withdrawal from a drug. This was not good, his kisses should not make me feel like this. And than he just sauntered away, shovel over shoulder and all his burly friends following after them.

I spent the rest of the day with Mary and Sarah, preparing dinner. Mary owned the only saloon in the small town and since none of the men could cook everyone came to her for food. Sarah and Mary (and now me) were literally the only women in a fifty mile radius. When I asked her how she survived, meaning how she survived with only her and Sarah, Mary responded that they had each other to talk to. Sarah, at the same exact time as her mother however said something along the lines of, keep a gun with you at all times, and promptly lifted her skirt to show me that there was a pistol strapped to her leg under her many skirts. I laughed uproariously, and very unladylike, while Mary scolded her for her brashness and flattened her skirt again. Sarah was made of tough stuff, I liked her.

When the men finally came back from the mines for dinner Damon was among them. He immediately sought me out.

"Who knew that all Damon needed to bring him back from the mines on time was a pretty girl? We should have sent for her earlier." I must have looked confused because that authority guy, who I now knew was named Jasper, whispered quietly to me.

"Damon always stays late at the mines, doing the work of ten men after we've gone." I understood now. After they left he used his vampire strength to try to find even more gold. I didn't know if that was determination and ambition or cheating. Let's go with determination. I nodded at the explanation and moved to Damon's side. He leaned down and murmured quietly in my ear. It probably looked like he was whispering sweet nothings in my ear, but no, his words were repulsing.

"I need to hunt tonight. I am getting weaker. I will be going into the next town, I cannot bring you with me but I cannot leave you here. We will say we're going on a walk and I will leave you a bit out of town. Can you protect yourself in an emergency?" I thought about my mind pain. I didn't want to rely on that though. I needed something even simpler.

"Can I bring a glass of water?" He smiled at me oddly but nodded. I went and asked Mary for a glass and she happily complied. She was so happy to see a friendly female face that she was giving me all these things for free…unless she was charging Damon for them and I just didn't know.

"Bonnie, will you accompany me on a short walk?" It seemed like just yesterday that George Lockwood had said those same words to me. Really though it was five days (my time) or thirteen years (Damon's time).

"It would be my pleasure." And we walked out arm in arm, leaving a room full of snickering men behind us.

* * *

True to his word Damon left me just outside the small town before running off in a random direction. I watched the small lights coming from the windows of Mary's tavern. I stared at the stars, you could see all of them. I had never realized how many were gone by the time I got there, how time has passed. I was so busy being mesmerized by the stars that I didn't here the shouts…at first. When I looked back at the loud town it was much too bright, and too many shouts were reaching my ears. The buildings were on fire and the men were trying to fight off others. Native Americans were attacking I realized. This was straight out of an American History textbook.

I was frozen in my place until I saw Sarah running out of the saloon, gun in hand. It was impossible to mistake her figure compared to all of the others. A little girl, fighting for her life. It was wrong, but then again, so was taking the Native Americans land. When I saw Mary run out after her I took off, sprinting towards the town. Focusing with all my might on the fire, willing it to go down. Surprisingly, it was a rather large fire after all, it died down almost immediately. Maybe this wacky time stuff was helping my powers along.

Getting rid of the fires though turned out not to really help though. The buildings were saved but the people were not. I saw Jasper on the ground his chest bleeding from a gunshot wound. I bent beside him, not knowing what to do. I had no weapons and if I showed my powers I may be burned on the steak for all I know.

"Damon?" There were tears pouring out of my eyes, there were far too many dead. It was like the Civil War all over again. I didn't want to tell him that Damon had run away. It would make him seem like a coward. And if there was one thing that Damon was not it was a coward.

"They got him when they were coming in. We were walking back. He told me to run, I didn't make it in time to warn you." He nodded and let out one last breath. Collapsing under me, his eyes more glassy than before. I closed them before standing up, I had to do something.

Before I could even get my hands on a gun I was swept off my feet by a man on horse back. Tilting my head slightly I could see other Native Americans holding Mary and Sarah in equally comfortable positions on their own horses. They were taking us back to their camp.

I was trapped in a teepee with a sobbing Mary and a stony faced Sarah. Great.

* * *

_Bonnie, what teepee are you in?_ I almost jumped a mile at Damon's voice in my head. I hate weird vampire tricks.

_Damon listen to me, I told everyone you're dead. Sorry about that, it was the only honorable explanation. You can't just show up here and save us. I'll save Mary and Sarah. You just get as far away from here as possible._ It was then when I realized what had made me leave before, Damon had left. Or at least that's what I think. I f that doesn't work, I'll just say the spell again.

_I'm not going to just leave you with these savages!_ Whoa, racism much. Though the Native Americans hadn't been exactly nice to me.

_If you don't fucking leave I'm going to kill you myself. And I don't give a shit how unladylike and vulgar my language is, leave!_ I heard him recoil mentally a bit in my mind, maybe that would convince him to leave a bit better.

_Farewell, my dear Bonnie._ What the hell was with the dear Bonnie? Whatever I have more important things to focus on.

"Sarah, Mary I am going to get you out of here." Sarah looked up at me, her expression suddenly breaking into a scared little girl's face. She had much too much responsibility to be a child. I wish I could give her a pie or something to cheer her up. And that's when it hit me, why the name Sarah Callery sounded so familiar.

Sarah Callery was the only woman who ever married into the Bennett family who wasn't a witch until my own mother. She was a settler out west and was famous (not really, but she was mentioned, not by name, in my history textbook) for making a fortune just by baking pies and selling them to miners. The recipe was passed down from generation to generation of Bennetts, all the way down to me.

"Sarah can you bake?" She shook her head violently pools of tears forming in her eyes.

"No I'm the worst baker in the world." I laughed, how ironic was that?

"Do you have a good memory?" She nodded.

"The best." I smiled kindly at her. The girl finally acting like the child she should be.

"Now I am going to get you out of here but you need to do me a favor and remember something for me, you need to remember this for the rest of yourself mind you. Can you do that?" She nodded eagerly. I whispered it in her ear and though she looked at me oddly for my strange request for her to remember a recipe she repeated it word for word back to me.

"Now Sarah, when all the men are down on the ground I want you to take your mama and run. You take two of the horses and you ride all the way to the next town. And remember that recipe." She nodded once more. With that thought I pulled both Mary and her to their feet.

"Are you ready?" She nodded, not doubting me in the least. I was Bonnie Abella, and Damon had told her that I could do anything. I pushed open the flap of the teepee and immediately a man, who I assumed was standing guard, had a gun pointed at me. With just a look he was down, along with all of the others within a ten foot radius. Sarah and Mary stared in shock as they writhed in pain.

"Go! Run!" They didn't need to be told twice. In a split second they were off, climbing on the first two horses they came across. Anyone who tried to attack them mysteriously dropped in agony and they rode off with no pursuers.

In all my focus on making sure they got out alive I had paid no attention to my own safety. It wasn't until they were well out of sight when I realized I had a gun pointed at me. Multiple guns actually. But it didn't matter Sarah and Mary were gone, they would never be able to catch up. I heard the gun shot ring in my ears while I laughed. They must have thought I was mad but I was laughing at them. The bullet would never hit me. I blacked out, lost in time, before it came within a foot. I didn't see what happened, I couldn't. I was already gone. I didn't know it then, but the story would become a legend, passed down by Native Americans and spread in their culture. The Vanishing Woman.


	9. The Unsinkable Bonnie Bennett

**Chapter 9**

**The Unsinkable Bonnie Bennett**

_You're gonna get out of here, you're gonna go on and make lots of babies, and you're gonna watch them grow. You're gonna die an old... an old lady warm in her bed, but not here, not this night. Not like this  
-Titanic_

I had been on a cruise once in my life. It had been for Elena's ninth birthday. Her parents spoiled her rotten and when she asked to go on the Disney cruise they happily complied. So Elena, Caroline, Jeremy, Matt (we were nine, boys weren't banned by our parents yet), Tyler, and I took the two week cruise with Elena's parents. It was fantastic. Elena got sea sick easily and Matt, being ever the loyal friend, stayed behind and spent most of the trip with her in her cabin. The rest of us ran wild. Though I did not become sea sick as Elena did, I could still feel the sway of the ocean if I concentrated. But right now? I wasn't concentrating, at all, but I could feel it. The sway of the ocean below my feet. And here, on this boat I was obviously on, it was much stronger than it had been on _The Queen Minnie II_. Knowing my luck I was probably stuck on a boat before they invented life vests.

I groaned groggily, rubbing my forehead. This time travel thing left me with some kind of hangover, I needed coffee. I blinked my eyes a few times, willing the room to swim into focus. It did. I found myself in an ornately decorated bedroom. Dead serious, there was gold plating on the walls. IT was beautiful though. Do you think I just fell through time into the Queen of England's bedroom on her private ship? Wouldn't that be fun? Being questioned by some weird secret service of Britain. Though British accents are really hot on a guy…

"Who are you?" The voice was surprised yet sharp at the same time. But best of all, it was British. I turned towards the door to find young African American girl standing in the doorway. She seemed to be a maid.

"Who are you? What is your name?" She looked shocked, and maybe even slightly offended.

"I am Katherine Bennett," So one of us Bennetts had named their daughter after Katherine interesting. "I am here to tidy the room. What are you doing in here?"

"My name is Bonnie. Could you tell me when we'll be arriving in the port?" Her eyes immediately widened from their narrowed position. She clutched her heart with her hand, staggering backwards in shock.

"You are Bonnie; you cause the end, you are the one." What the heck was she talking about? She was obviously a Bennett witch though, she had a topaz chained around her neck and god, doesn't it seem like every Bennett witch but I had one of these weird stones? Even Grams had one, an amethyst, when do I get mine?

"Did you get a box or something like that, with clothes in it?" She shook her head no. I guess Grams preparation spell thing only worked on the first trip through time.

"Where is your stone, where is it? You need it, you always have it." I stared at my ancestor. What was she talking about? She couldn't have seen me before; I must be back a hundred years by her clothes. I had never seen her before in my life. Plus, I didn't have a weird witchy stone.

"What are you talking about?" Now it was her turn (again) to stare at me oddly.

"Where is your-?" I heard a door open and close just outside of the room and she immediately stopped talking.

"Just one moment Charles, I just have to grab my dinner jacket. I'll be with you in just a moment." And then the door knob into the room we were standing in began to turn. I glanced around wildly, searching for any search place at all. There was none that I could see. Yet in that split second it took the door knob to turn Katherine Bennett had grabbed me and pushed me under the bed skirt. I was hiding under the bed, like a silly child.

"I will come back for you Bonnie."With that she stood up and made her way towards the opening door.

"I am sorry sir; I was just about to straighten up. I could wait outside if that is your wish." Her tone was polite and curt. Why was she speaking in a British accent, we were Bennetts, Americans. Maybe a generation came over to Britain after the war?

"No it is fine; the room is already quite tidy. Do not bother to wait, go to your next room." She walked silently out of the room to the next room while I was groaning inside of my head under the bed. I knew that voice.

"I may be weaker than my brother but I can still hear your breathing Bonnie." He lifted the bed skirt and peered under. I climbed out without a word. Last time I had seen Stefan he hadn't exactly been nice to me, was he going to kill me with his super vampire strength?

**(AN: I bet all of you thought it was going to be Damon! Didn't you?)**

"How did you know it was me? I get you knew that there was someone there but how did you know it was me personally?" He appraised me for a second, as if he were sizing me up.

"Witches have a particular scent. It tends to draw vampires in. The more powerful the witch, the stronger the pull. You have the most powerful aura, since I guess that is what it is, that I've ever encountered. I knew you were here as soon as I walked in." I nodded at his words before a question popped into my mind, making me blush.

"This pull…is it like a pull to feed or a pull to…" I trailed off, hoping that in this time it was not too inappropriate to ask such things. To my surprise he laughed.

"You and Katherine were always so forward, I had almost forgotten. As for your question, I guess that depends on the vampire." He didn't elaborate on what he felt and I didn't ask.

"I am sorry." I whipped my head up to meet his eyes. What was he talking about? Had he stepped on my toe while I was spacing out?

"I am sorry for how I treated you when we first met. It was wrong and I was being stupid and ignorant. This apology is coming about fifty years to late but I hope you will accept it just the same." Now this was the Stefan I remembered from modern day, always apologizing.

"Its fine, you have already been forgiven." Did he say that it came fifty years too late? That would mean we were somewhere in the early 1900s.

"Stefan, what is the date today." He looked at me curiously, and I guess I could understand why. But didn't he think it was odd that I hadn't aged a day and I was not a vampire?

"April 14, 1912. And it is," He glanced down at his pocket watch. Yes, Stefan had a pocket watch. "A quarter of an hour to six o'clock." I nodded before realizing that his friend was still waiting for him.

"Stefan your friend, Charles wasn't it, he is still out there! He must be wondering what is taking you so long." He looked startled and let out a kind of 'oh' sound. He had forgotten about Charles.

"I'll go in just a moment, let me just grab you something more suitable for you to wear." He was gone with a blur, probably gone to rob a nearby cabin. He came back in a second with a green dress over one arm and a cob in another.

"Here put this on and tidy yourself up. Come up to the main dining room when you are ready, I'll introduce you to everyone." He gave one more nod in farewell before leaving, continuing his conversation with Charles as they made their way down the hall. Sighing I made my way towards the mirror and wash basin in a small room off the bedroom.

After combing my hair and pulling on the dress Stefan had brought me I gazed at myself in the mirror. When I first saw the _Titanic_, the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio, I had imagined myself in Rose's position. This was just the outfit I had pictured myself in. Maybe I was around the same time period? I smoothed the dress down once more; it really did look good on me. It seemed as if these historical outfits looked better on me than jeans and a shirt. I sighed once more, now or never I guess.

After wandering the halls for five minutes I finally accepted that I was never going to be able to find the dining car on my own. I spent the next few minutes trying to find someone who might know where the dining room or wherever is. Finally I spotted a man making his way through the halls; he looked like he knew where he was going. I took a deep breath and made my way towards him. Thanking God that Elena had wanted to be in drama club in middle school.

"Excuse me sir, I'm so sorry, but I have just the most terrible memory. Do you think you could possibly direct me towards the dining room?" I didn't even bother trying to put on a fake English accent. There must be plenty of Americans on this ship. Plus British people always seem to sound smart and at the moment smart was not the character trait I was looking to play.

"I'd be happy to ma'am. I'm not heading there myself but I could take you halfway there and give you the rest of the directions." I nodded and smiled happily. He offered his arm and I took it, letting him lead me through the hallways of the ship.

We had reached the top of the ship when he let go of my arm. He smiled and took a step back to face me properly.

"I must go now; the dining room is the last door down this next corridor. There should be a steward there if you have any other problems." He kissed my hand before turning and strolling off down a different hall. I made my way to the door indicated and found that he had been right; there was a steward waiting. Since I had already found the dining room I simply gave him a nod. I was about to open the door when he caught my arm. Though he immediately released his grasp it was clear that he was blocking my entrance from the room.

"Is there a problem sir?" He pursed his lips. Don't you hate when people talk to you like they're better than you or something? What is up with that anyway? I could totally whoop his ass and yet here he was, acting like I was a child he could kick around. Not really, he hadn't kicked me yet. He just wasn't letting me in.

"Do you have a first class ticket?" So that was it huh, thinking I was poor or something. I don't see why, Stefan had obviously stolen a rich person's dress for me.

"I apologize; I don't have it with me at the moment. I was unaware I was required to carry it when I wished to have something to eat." He smiled at me.

"I'm sorry _ma'am_," He didn't sound sorry at all. "But I can't allow you to come in without first class verification." This guy was annoying. But, someone's (I wasn't sure who's) quick thinking must have rubbed off on me because I well…thought fast? Not really, I just said the first idea that popped into my head.

"Sir, I completely understand the predicament. It would be a dreadful walk back to my cabin, all alone as I am, and I am already late. I told Mr. Salvatore I would meet him a quarter of an hour ago." His whole facial features immediately changed, maybe he hates when girls come late for dates with him?

"Mr. Salvatore? Well…I' sorry for the inconvenience. I have to verify your story though. How about I save you a walk back to you cabin and I just bring Mr. Salvatore out here to verify. If he doesn't, well, there will be consequences." I nodded eagerly, after all. What consequences would I get; Stefan would immediately verify my story? He slipped through the door and I waited patiently outside, listening to the sound of the chatter within. Eventually I heard the footsteps of two men coming towards the door. I could tell one was much more graceful than the other, a nonhuman grace. That had to be Stefan and the steward. As they came closer to me I could hear their voices, well the steward's voice at least.

"I am sorry to interrupt your meal sir. It is just that there is a woman waiting outside claiming that she was supposed to dine with you and since she does not have her ticket with her I thought maybe you could verify the story. You had better see her before verifying it though." I took a large step away from the door, missing Stefan's reply. I didn't want them to catch me eavesdropping.

"And here she is." The door swung open to reveal the rude steward and…Damon? Both Salvatore brothers were on a boat…at the same time!

"Sir, I-." I had been planning on telling him that he had went and fetched the wrong Salvatore brother but he cut me off as he leered towards me.

"Not so sure of yourself now are you? I bet you didn't think I would actually go and get him. Did-?" But his interruption was interrupted by Damon.

"I'm sure she did believe that you would alert me, she did ask you to. She had probably been planning on tipping you, just as I was, but there will be no need for that now. If you would be so kind, Bonnie?" He held out his arm and I grasped it, shooting the flustered steward a glare as we passed him. Once we were through the doors I began whispering furiously to Damon.

"I was supposed to meet Stefan, I'm sorry he brought you out and interrupted your meal but I honestly have to go…" I trailed off when I realized that not a word was being spoken in the dining room. They were all staring at us.

"Damon why are they all staring?" He let out a chuckle and shook his head slightly at my apparent stupidity.

"Bonnie you are arm and arm with Damon Salvatore and you did not expect to earn a few stares?" I muttered 'a few' under my breath as he continued. "Now just smile politely and they'll all love you." Deciding that his advice was better than no advice I smiled kindly at the crowd. Most of the diners turned back to their food but a few women continued to stare (and a few actually glared).

"Just take me to Stefan's table, than you can go back to whatever you were doing before." I just wanted him to let go of my arm. It felt weird and I kept picturing us kissing back in that old mining town. This was not good.

"There's no need, Stefan and I just happen to be sharing a table this evening." Just then we reached a rather large table. It mostly seated young men, who looked to be about the same age as Damon and Stefan (or how old they looked not their actual age) but there were a few girls at the table too. They looked to be a few of the guy's dates or something. They smiled demurely at me but none of them looked very happy. I knew that look. That was the look of 'how did I get sucked into this when I could be at home painting my nails and watching chick flicks, he may be a stud but he is boring!'Except these girls probably didn't watch chick flicks they probably sewed or something…but anyway you get the point, I had a feeling we were in for a boring meal.

"Ahh, Damon you're back, we were wondering where that steward took you off to," Was he implying…? "We thought you may have been mugged or something of that nature." Nope, he wasn't. Boring.

"No, I was most certainly not mugged William. Thank you for your concern. Now where has the conversation been led to while I was gone?" Who the hell talks like that? If I ever see future Damon again I am so making fun of him for this. I wish I had a video camera or something…

"So did you hear? Taft is entering the election, who would have thought? Imagine him as President!" Now since England had a Prime Minister, or maybe a queen at this point in time, I figured they were talking about the United States. And since I had no idea what time I was in I figured this might give me some clues.

"Pardon me, but what was it that you just said?" Every single person at the table looked at me oddly, like I had grown another head or something, except for Damon. No, that son of a bitch was just laughing into his glass of wine. Can you help me out here? Hello, isn't Salvatore supposed to mean Savior or something? Finally one of the guys, I think it may have been Charles from earlier, spoke up.

"It was nothing for you to worry about; it does not really concern you." That was it, than all of the men just picked up the conversation again like nothing had happened. Wow, nice guys right? One of the girls gave me a sort of sympathetic look on her face. Maybe she had tried to enter the conversation earlier on.

"If you will excuse me I think I need to go freshen up a bit." I pushed back from the table roughly, probably causing all of their opinions of me to decrease even more. I didn't care though; all of these people would be dead by the time I was born.

"I'll come with you." I nodded as the girl who had smiled at me stood up and led the way to the bathroom, or wherever people of these times went to freshen up.

"I apologize on Charles' behalf, He and I are engaged, He has never been the most polite but he was rather rude to you. Oh, we weren't introduced were we? My name is Margaret, Margaret Graham, but almost everyone calls me Margie." I opened my mouth to introduce myself but she beat me to it.

"There's no need to introduce yourself, I know who you are. You're Bonnie Abella. Damon said that you may be boarding the book at a later port. Violet and I thought that he was just telling us that so Elizabeth would stop flirting so shamelessly with him, not that his words stopped her, but I guess he was telling the truth about you. Did you get on at Queenstown? I am surprised that Damon said nothing about your boarding." She finally stopped talking for more than five seconds; this one was a chatty one. She actually reminded me strongly of Caroline.

"Actually I myself did not inform Damon. You see, I have been bedridden in my cabin. I had been feeling terribly off health and I didn't want to infect Damon or anyone else if there was a chance I had caught something on my trip to Queenstown, I don't live there you know. And I knew that if I even sent a message to tell Damon that I was aboard he would come bursting into my apartment demanding to see me, or something equally Damon like." I completely made that up, but I couldn't really say that I didn't feel like telling him or something like that. Either way Margie let out a nice tinkling laugh, one of those laughs that you always wished you could have but never could perfect, and many of the men in the room turned to get a look at her. Just then I something hit me; Margie said that she was Charles' fiancée. She couldn't be that much older than I was. Cradle robber!

"If you don't mind me asking…Margie, how old are you?" It was kind of a rude thing to ask but she was almost my age and it wasn't like I was a guy or anything so it should be fine…right? She didn't respond immediately so I assumed it was probably even ruder in this time to ask than it was in mine.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you or anything it's just-."But she waved off my apology with her hand and opened her mouth to speak, a sad look upon her face.

"Don't worry, I know why you asked. I must seem a bit old to be just getting engaged. The truth is I'm nineteen, but I look even older. It is an unfair world. I wish I still had skin as smooth as yours, mine is already betraying me." I studied her face for a moment, I could not spot a single wrinkle, but I nodded along anyway. Maybe she was talking about something else. Deciding that this was too much like in my time when ridiculously skinny girls called themselves fat I cut off the conversation.

"Do you happen to know the time?" She turned slightly towards me, an apologetic expression donning her face.

"No, I am sorry; you will have to watch one of the men. I am sure they all carry pocket watches." I quietly thanked her. This is the time that I am wishing that there were cell phones, they were so useful and convenient. I wish mine at least still worked. I had checked my phone before stowing my bag underneath Stefan's bed and the time was all out of whack and there was no service. Though I guess I should have expected that, this was probably before they had cell towers.

I eyed myself in the mirror while Margie powdered her nose with some odd powder. I really should consider wearing these historical outfits more often, it's like I belong in them. I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering if there was still dust in it from yesterday…or however long ago I was in the ghost town in real time. Nope, it was as clean as a whistle. I wonder where that phrase came from, people's spit and stuff is probably in a whistle, why would it be clean?

"Are you ready to go back now?" I shook myself back into real life. Margie stood in front of me, an expectant expression on her face.

"Oh of course, let's go." She nodded and smiled before we both headed for the door. As we walked through the ball room I saw all of the table's occupant's eyes on us, this was not good. Charles seemed to be nudging Damon more than he should be (considering he shouldn't be nudging anyone at all) and Stefan looked like he was about to burst out laughing. Which is odd, I used to not even be able to picture Stefan laughing. As we got closer I saw Charles nudge Damon one last time. Faintly I swore I heard him say 'Don't worry asking the father's permission was the worst part, this is easy as anything.' But I couldn't be sure, after all what could he be talking about?

Both Margie and I sat down and the conversation immediately picked up. The men, I guess you could call them that, they looked like they had at least been through puberty, were talking about some guy named Woodrow Wilson while the women, girls really, were talking about some scandal back in America. Apparently this guy (I swear his name was John Jacob Jingleheimer) Astor had married this girl who was a year _younger_ than his son. And they were on this ship! That was like pedophilia. And then I was roped back into the conversation by an unlikely participant; Charles himself.

"Why Bonnie, you probably know Damon as well as his own brother here. What is your opinion, do you think Damon is courageous?" So now he wants my opinion huh? For a moment I considered snubbing him but I decided that I was going to be a good person and defend Damon.

"Why of course _Charles_. I believe that Damon is one of the bravest men I have ever met. I know that no matter how many disagreements and quarrels Stefan and he get into he is always ready to take a bullet for him, just like he is ready to do for me, or anyone else for that matter. Damon is quite courageous." I had sent a meaningful look towards to Stefan when I said that Damon would take a bullet for him, after all, Damon had replaced him in the war.

"Hear that Damon? She thinks you're courageous, that you wouldn't back down or duck out of something." Damon's only response was a firm glare and a hissed 'Be quiet!' What was going on? Now it seemed like everyone at the table was laughing to themselves, even Margie who had formerly been just as confused as I am. Damon stood up abruptly, turning to me after standing face forward for a second (which earned him quite a few stares).

"Bonnie I am extremely sorry that Charles may have ruined this with his horrifying meddling but I will try and make this the nest I can with the circumstances." He shot another glare at Charles as the girls giggled and I looked around, baffled. Margie sent me an encouraging smile and I managed to send a smile back…I think. I looked back at Damon from my chair since he was moving again. He was pushing in his chair, so I turned mine slightly (hoping no one noticed my movement) to see him better. Instead of walking away as I had expected he bent down. For a minute I thought he had dropped something or was looking for loose change. But no, he wasn't on all fours, or even crouching. He was kneeling; on one knee…in front of me. Good god, he wasn't. He was looking right at me, staring up at me as I sat shell shocked in my chair. He was. He was doing this.

"Bonnie, the first time I laid eyes on you I knew. You were different from any other girl I had ever met. I have already received your father's permission and blessing, so Bonnie Abella, may I have your hand in marriage?" The room was silent, like the school cafeteria is when someone admits something embarrassing and everyonehears it.

But this wasn't some embarrassing admission that you would rather not have the whole school know. This was a marriage proposal, from Damon Salvatore, to me; Bonnie Bennett; a seventeen year old. And everyone, which really consisted of a bunch of people I don't know, and never will know. But even considering that, it was still a fact that everyone was watching, listening, and anxiously awaiting my response.

"Err…yes?" It came out more like a question than a statement but the women still sighed, both enviously and admiringly. He smiled broadly, like he was happy that I had said yes; as if he loved me and this wasn't just another cover up story for this era. I didn't say a word as he slipped a cold golden ring onto my finger. The ring must have cost a fortune, it had seven diamonds! In the center of the ring was the largest diamond, it was eye shaped, just as the rest of the, slightly smaller, diamonds were. It was an actual engagement ring. It was beautiful.

I finally looked up from the ring around my finger to see Damon beginning to rise from his position on the floor, my hands still grasped in his own. When he stood tall again he pulled me up and out of seat gently, so we stood facing each other, not speaking a word. It seemed as if every person, human or otherwise, was holding their breath. I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything at all. Instead I kissed him.

It was just as explosive as the last kiss we had shared. His lips seared my own and it took every single ounce of my will power to pull away, to end the fireworks going off in my head. But I managed, I had too, I doubt it was proper in this time for a girl to have hot passionate sex, on a table in front of a room full of people, with a vampire. Come to think of it, that wasn't exactly appropriate in my time either. So we sat back down after shooting each other slightly dazed smiles. I have to get myself a guy that kisses as well as Damon when I get back home.

Margie gave me a huge smile from across the table while Charles thumped Damon on the back, going on about he thought that Damon wasn't going to gather up the guts to do it. Stefan gave me a small smile and Damon a stiff nod in congratulations. One of the girls had the nerve to glare at me. I assumed this was Elizabeth, the shameless flirter that Margie had told me about. Was this a real thing? Was I actually engaged to Damon Salvatore?

"Would you like to go on a walk with me, Bonnie?" I looked up into Damon's deep eyes. They're an odd mixture of grey, blue, and a hint of green. Odd, yet beautiful. The gene pool was so unfair. I nodded and weaved my arm through his, leaving the others at the table. Desert was just being taken away and I was as stuffed as you could be in this dress. I actually feared that I may break a seam. Dinner had been long, but not drawn out. It was one of the best meals I had ever had, only being beat by the Thanksgiving Caroline's, Elena's, and my family spent together. That was an interesting meal. I allowed Damon to lead me out the door and down an abandoned corridor without protest. The food daze was getting to me. He stopped and turned to look at me for a moment.

"I'll be right back, wait here." I nodded and watched as he disappeared, a blur against the cream colored walls. For a second I was afraid that I would be stuck waiting here like an idiot but then he was back, the only sign that he was ever gone was his windswept hair. In his hand he held a box, a jewelry box.

"It is probably bad luck somewhere to give tow pieces of jewelry on the same night but I don't really care, I have no idea when I'll see you once again and this was promised. I must have looked confused because he opened the box and held it out in front of him. There, nestled in its velvet box was a necklace, a very…big necklace. I'm not saying that it isn't beautiful but it's quite ostentatious. It had seven small, that word being relative to the HUGE gem in the middle, green gems and one rather, large dangling in the center. I sucked in a breath; I had no idea what to say. What do you say to a guy who you know to be a total dickhead hands you this kind of gift. Only people like Elena know what to say to this kind of stuff. Only Elena…because he loves Elena, or at least he will. That is why I can't get attached. He is in love with my best friend, or whatever Elena is.

"It's made out of gold, gold that I found in the west. Just a few weeks after you'd left I hit gold a few towns over. It's how I my first fortune." I nodded along with his words, noting the word first in front of the word fortune. He was already racking up the cash. He handed the box to me before unclasping it from its perch. In a second he was behind me. It was a shock to feel his hand gently moving my hair to give him more access to my neck. For a moment I feared he was going to bite me but he merely clasped the necklace so it lay coolly against my skin. I couldn't suppress the slight shiver that ran through me. He paid no attention, his only action being offering his arm to me once more and gesturing to the door which must lead to the outside deck.

I followed him out and we walked arm and arm down the walkway. It wasn't until a few minutes later that I saw the life preserver. It was hanging off the railing, just like they are in the movies, and at first it did not even register on my radar. It wasn't until we got close enough that I was able to read the words upon it that my mouth went dry. Yanking my arm away from Damon I spun on my heel and took off in the other direction, back towards the door that led to the first class compartments. I searched for Stefan's room. It's amazing how much adrenaline helps your memory.

The element of surprise must really stun vampires because it wasn't until I was banging on Stefan's door did I find Damon next to again.

"Bonnie, what's going on? Are you okay? What do you need with Stefan? Bonnie, what's wrong?" All of these questions were said in rapid succession and I doubt I would have been to get a word in even if I wanted to. It was just then that Stefan opened his door, causing me to almost whack him in the face.

"Bonnie, what are you doing here?" I pushed past his and ran into his room, grabbing my bag from under his bed and running back out again. I was about to run out into the hallway again when I skidded to a stop in front of them.

"Stefan, what time is it?" He reached for his pocket watch, much to slow in my opinion but there was really nothing I could do about that.

"It's just past eleven o'clock, why?" I sucked in a breath; I had expected more time than that. How long had dinner lasted? How long was my walk with Damon?

"Bonnie? Bonnie?" Damon's voice roused me from my stupor. They were muttering to each other, wondering if I was going into some witchy trance or something. The word witch reminded me of something, my ancestors.

"Damon! You have to find Katherine! If she's not on the deck by twelve o'clock she will die."

"But Katherine's in the tomb…how?" The confused look now made sense.

"Not Katherine Peirce, Katherine Bennett. She works as a maid on the ship. You have to get her up to the deck by twelve, and then keep her there. You'll realize why soon. Do you understand. He nodded once. "Then go!" He blurred off leaving me with only one Salvatore brother in front of me.

"Stefan, warn as many people in first class as you can, along with anyone else you run in to. Make sure all of them are on the deck by half past twelve, women and children especially. Tell them there is going to be fireworks, and if that doesn't work use a weak compulsion trick. Go!" He was gone in a blur as well, leaving me alone. I was going to feel bad about this later, but I needed it now. It's not like Stefan would really miss it. With that thought I made my way over to the hidden safe. Muttering a quick unlocking spell I opened the door easily. Stuffing my bag full of the American bills I had quickly emptied the safe. From the looks of it, Stefan was just as loaded as Damon. I shut my bag as fast as I could before darting from the room, making my way towards the stairs that I knew led to the lower class cabins.

Before I got there however I ran into someone else.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" My, now, wild eyes searched hers for a moment before they registered that knew her.

"I'm fine Margie, but listen to me. You have to do me a favor, at half past twelve go up to the main deck and stay there. When you see them begin to lower the lifeboats, get on one. Do you understand?"

"The boat is sinking?" I shook my head. Her words were surprisingly calm, not the words of the hysterical girl I had been expecting.

"Not yet, but it will be soon. Will you go to the deck and stay there?" She nodded and I let go of her shoulders, running off once more, hoping that she would make it onto one of the boats. When I reached the stairs I got off at the first landing, planning to run across it warning everyone before taking the stairs on the opposite side downwards. It took me a moment to realize that I would never be able to get all the way across in time.

"You!" I had seen a girl exiting from a room a ways ahead; she immediately stopped in her tracks at my voice. When she had turned to face me I began to speak again.

"I will give you one hundred dollars as well as the dress I am wearing for your dress. She looked shocked, and then disbelieving.

"You cannot be serious." I nodded vigorously.

"I am" With that statement I began shedding the layers of the dress and throwing them towards her. First went the underskirts that I could get out from under me. Than the dress itself and then the layers underneath that. Finally I was left with the simple first corset, awful knickers, and the necklace. She quickly handed me her dress and began putting on my own. In a few seconds we had completely switched. True to my word I handed her one hundred dollars and she raced towards her cabin once more.

"Be on the deck at twelve or I am taking it back!" She nodded before entering the cabin. Just then a blur raced by me. For a minute I thought it was Stefan or Damon but when the blur stopped I saw it was neither. In front of me stood a tall woman with brown hair, pale skin, and brown eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Bonnie, who are you?

"My name is Rosemary. You are a witch.

"You are a vampire." She nodded in agreement.

"Why are you down here, you are a first class passenger?"

"The ship is going to hit an ice berg soon, and then it will sink. I want to warn them." She looked a bit skeptical.

"You are one of the seer witches, who see the future. But you will never be able to warn them in time."

"Will you help?" She nodded and then blurred down the hallway, knocking on every single doorway. She then came hurtling back, pushing me behind the bend so no one would be able to see us. When I peeked out around the wall I saw many confused heads poking out of their rooms.

"There will be fireworks on the deck at a quarter past twelve. Seal your portholes and then come up to the deck." Rosemary yelled this in a very good impression of a man's voice. I hadn't thought about the portholes but now that she mentioned it that did seem like a good idea.

"What if they don't come to see the fireworks?" Some people might not want to see fireworks we should have threatened them or something. Her face softened.

"We can't save everyone Bonnie." I nodded and we continued onto the next floor, doing the same thing as we had on the last floor. And then the same on the next floor.

"Bonnie it's half past twelve." I looked up, startled. We barely spent a minute on each floor how could the time have passed so quickly?

"We need to get you back up to the deck." She started towards me but I backed away.

"No there is still another wing." She shook her head.

"Bonnie, you'll die."

"Rosemary, its one floor, besides the life boats won't be lowered for another hour. She sighed in a defeated way and followed me to the next wing. We repeated the steps once more, but this time the people immediately came out of their rooms, the fireworks were already starting. I lost Rosemary in the crowd but I vaguely heard her calling for someone named Trevor. I let myself lose her, if we were meant to be friends we'd meet again in the future.

When I reached the deck I was met with the sight of…fireworks. For a second I was confused, staring at the light just as all the other passengers were. Then I realized that they were the distress rockets going off. The _Titanic _had been hit. I spotted Damon's dark head over the sea of people and I pushed my way through the crowd to reach him. He is arguing with a sailor and I see Katherine standing next to him, shivering in her thin coat. When I reached them I heard his threatening growl.

"Let her aboard."

"I can't do that sir, the Caucasian first class women and children must go first. She is a worker, she gets on last."

"There are only twelve people aboard!"

"That is beside the point, sir."

"Damon!" The vampire turned to see me coming towards him. He motioned for me to get on the lifeboat but I was stopped by another steward.

"I'm sorry miss, but I cannot allow you to board."

"Damon, just compel them." I hissed under my breath, I knew he would hear.

_I used almost all my energy on compelling people to come up here. I haven't fed in days and I am almost drained, Stefan the same. I only have enough energy for one more compulsion. Katherine will not be allowed on._ Katherine will not be allowed on…is he nuts? He wants to compel my guard? Doesn't he know if Katherine dies he will break his deal with Emily?

_You compel her guard or I'll stake you, don't bother with mine._ He nodded discreetly before turning back to the attendant barring Katherine from the boat.

"She will be allowed to board this lifeboat, you will treat her no different from how you treat the rest of the passengers aboard. You will make sure she gets to land safely." The man dutifully let down his arm and Katherine boarded with no trouble from the women. The lifeboat was lowered and I watched at Katherine's face disappeared into the darkness.

Damon and I watched as the lifeboats were each lowered, some full, some mostly empty, and a few over packed. We watched as the last lifeboat that they are able to reach is lowered into the water. People are beginning to jump over the sides. The water is rising fast, it had almost reached the Bridge Deck. It is two o' clock in the morning when I suddenly realize that when ships sink they pull things down with them, like a whirl pool. We have to get out of here if we want any chance of living. I look around for Stefan but am only met with somber faces. A few have resorted to getting drunk and the band plays on one side of the deck. Those stories are true at least. Silently I grab Damon's hand and lead him over to the railing and we exchange a glance, no words are spoken, no words are needed. I climb onto the railing and he does the same. I look behind me to see many people watching us. We must look like some kind of couple or something. Looking forward again I take a deep breath and leap into the darkness, hanging onto Damon for dear life.

When I hit the water the air is knocked from my lungs. For a minute my eye sight darkens and gets funny and I think that I am going to black out but my body resists and I stay alert. Thanking god that Grams put the water proof spell on my bag before she died. I used my sore limbs to swim a bit away from the shore but each second my arms seemed to freeze more. I had almost forgotten about Damon when his arm came around my waist.

"I'll get us away faster." He kicked and we propelled forward, much faster and farther than I had been going. I hadn't really had a destination in mind, just to get away from the ship, but Damon had a plan. He kicked us toward an iceberg. The very thing that had sunk the ship. He half pushed, half threw me to a ledge on the cold ice before pulling himself onto it as well.

My teeth chattered and he rubbed his own cold hands on my arms in an effort to warm me up. I pushed myself as close as I could too him. Because of the freezing water he wasn't much warmer than I but even that was better than the ice. I was so cold my hair was freezing in place. We clung to each other, freezing.

"You are going to get out of here. You are going to get home. You are going to grow old with friends and family. You are going to be happy. You are going to be _safe_." His murmurs reached my ears from where his face was buried in my hair. I was reminded of Jack and Rose and what happens after his promises. I cling to him tighter, because even though he's already dead, I am terrified of losing him. We both know he is much more likely to survive this than I, but he still promises and I still cling to him, terrified. I wonder what he would say if mentioned the fortune teller's prophecy. Was this what she was talking about? Was this me dying young?

It was awhile until we heard the voices. I doubt either of us could tell you the exact time. But I saw the light and the calling. A lifeboat was coming back for survivors. I saw them pulling a few bodies onto the boat but I was too weak to speak up. I had almost given up when Damon lifted his hand and let out a hoarse cry. I heard the clear shout of a women's voice.

"There, on top of the glacier." The boat glided towards us and Damon brought me down to a slightly lower crevice in the glacier. The woman who shouted helped him get me into the boat. After a blanket was wrapped around me the woman spoke.

"What's your name dear?" I looked up to her clear grey eyes.

"Bonnie. My name's Bonnie." My voice was gritty and it cracked at the end but I was happy to hear I still had one.

"My name's Molly Brown." The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

"Bonnie, they are coming around asking for ticket numbers, what will you tell them?" I looked up at Damon.

"You have to leave."

"What?"

"Feed on a crew member or something and then swim away, I'll disappear." He looked at me oddly, like he questioned my sanity.

"Just do it." He nodded before slipping through a door in search of a blood donor. He must have finished his meal quickly because just a few minutes later I felt it. The pull of time. As I disappeared I caught a glimpse of Stefan watching me. He gave a little wave before he disappeared from my vision.


	10. Speakeasy, Speak Truly, Speak Freely

**Chapter 10**

**Speakeasy, Speak Truly, Speak Freely**

_I'm open, you're closed  
Where I follow, you'll go  
I worry I won't see your face  
Light up again_

_-Collide, Howie Day_

"Ahh didn't pass out this time around. That's good, you must be getting used to it. Where are you coming from?" My vision was blurring and the girl in front of me was swimming in and out of focus but I can't mistake that voice anywhere. Only two people had that voice, but the tone was all her own.

"Katherine?" Her face finally focused and I caught both her smile and her nod. "Where am I?" The room was still spinning and I wished I had passed out like before, even that was preferable to this.

"You're in Chicago…sort of. Right now, what you're seeing is South Wabash, the Moulin Rouge and it is about half past nine. It's January, 23rd, 1922. I'll explain in a minute. Where are you coming from?" I took in her flapper dress and short bob, wow that was quite a different look.

"The Titanic, Well the Carpathian really, Damon and I were just fished out of the water when I left." Her eyes gained an odd kind of sparkle at the mention of the older Salvatore brother's name and her smile grew wider.

"You were on the Titanic! I knew Stefan and Damon were, but you too, how terribly romantic. I am absolutely envious." I rolled my eyes at her antics; she was sounded a lot like Caroline. "Now, first things first, let's change you out of that stifling dress. Taking hold of my arm she led me up the stairs and into a room that reminded me a lot like the one she had stayed in at the Salvatore mansion. Raising my eyebrows at her she knew what I was getting at.

"What can I say? I'm reminiscent, Stefan was quite the catch." Maybe she was telling the truth about loving him in the future.

"Do you love Damon as well?" She spun around and stared at me with wide eyes.

"I never said I loved Stefan," I kept eye contact and in a moment she seemed to deflate slightly. "You could always read me better than any of the others, even better than Pearl." Her eyes may have misted over slightly at her best friend's name. But then again it could have just been a trick of the light. "But no, I don't love Damon; he definitely belongs to someone else." She sent me a wink while I sent her a confused look back. I decided to keep quiet while she opened a bureau and retrieved a dress for me. Classic flapper, lovely. I eyed the dress a bit skeptically, it wouldn't suit me well, I knew it. The red tassel filled dress was just not meant for me. To make matter worse she held out a red feathery boa as well.

"Change into it, or you can't leave this room." I grudgingly took the outfit, completed with the shoes she had handed me, and changed. The dress hung on me in, what I thought was, an unflattering way but Katherine looked at me in approval. I guess this style wasn't exactly the most flattering to anyone, but at least I wouldn't stick out.

"Why am I here Katherine? And not just here, but why did I go to the _Titanic_, or the theater, or that town out west? Why didn't the spell just take me home? What's going on?" I had flopped down on the bed during my question bombardment. Katherine sighed before gracefully seating herself on the edge of the bed at my feet.

"Do you remember the exact wording of the spell that got you to 1864?" I nodded, how do you forget something like that? "The reason Emily created the spell was because of me. I came up with the wording and she put together the actual magic, and bound the spell to the bloodstone. I wanted the spell so I could go back in time and save my family. Klaus, the oldest vampire in the history of the world, killed them after I ran away, that's a story for another time. But when you translate the spell it means 'I am going back to move forwards'. I thought that would be perfect considering I wanted to save my family and move on from my grief. But the spell rejected me." I didn't understand her, how did a spell rejects you?

"The spell took on some kind of test. Not a conscience, but something that prevented the spell from being used by those who don't need it. The spell allowed you to use it because it believed you needed it, but it took you to 1864 because it believed that is where you needed to be, not wherever you were planning on going."

"But magic, it's not alive. It can't work on its own, how could a spell have a conscience?" Katherine leaned back so we were now lying on the bed side by side, if I didn't know she was in love with Stefan I would be majorly weirded out.

"I think that somewhere out there, there's a council or something like that. Maybe that's how it was decided." I shrugged, even this odd council sounded more plausible than a spell taking on a conscience.

"So the council, or the spell, is the reason I've been sent to all these odd places instead of just going home?" Katherine shook here head.

"The second spell means 'Back to the future I will go, to live my life and find my home.'" She didn't say anything else so I sat up before turning to look at her.

"And?"

"Home is where the heart is." Her crypticness was really starting to get one my nerves.

"What the hell are you talking about Katherine? Just tell me!" My outburst seemed to surprise me more than it did her. I was not usually a yeller, but the situation called for some anger at least.

"The ring I wear that allows me to walk in the sun has another spell on it. It allows me to summon you; I guess that would be the word, once. I wouldn't carry you through time, but it would bring me to wherever you are at that time."

"So where am I supposed to be?"

"But that is the beauty of it, you're there too. Right not you're asleep somewhere out in the world while you're here as well. Amazing right?"

"So, I'm asleep out there somewhere? What if something happens to my body? And how can I be in two places at once?"

"Don't worry, your body is being protected. I know where you are , I know who you're with and I know that you're safe. I also know that there is a time limit on this spell and you will be forced back into one place soon. I called you here because I am selfish and wanted to see you, I do consider you one of my closest friends, but I also summoned you because I know you must be horribly bewildered. So if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask."

"You said you know where my body, well other body or whatever, is. So, where is it?" Katherine smiled and for a minute she did not look like Katherine, she looked like Elena. But not Elena from before the accident, and not the Elena that Stefan knew. It was the Elena directly after the accident; it was the smile that Elena smiled at Caroline and I when I tried to cheer her up. It was a **real** smile.

"You're with Damon. He's in Verona right now. He's probably writing a letter in that silly wall. I heard that Stefan did that a few years ago. Isn't that so cute?" I nodded along with her last words, trying to picture either of the Salvatore brothers writing a letter to Juliet like those heartbroken girls in that Amanda Seyfried movie.

"Why am I always ending up where Damon is?"

"I already answered that question today, and I don't repeat myself, even for you." I rolled my eyes but decided not to object her statement. I did not want to fight with a five hundred year old vampire.

"Do you know where anyone else is?" It was unspoken, was she keeping track of Stefan? Or Anna?

"Stefan just left Chicago; he's heading for New York." I gave her a questioning look. She told me we were in Chicago, does that mean she…

"I've been following him. He's hitting up all the major cities in the world first. He can never stay long though; he has that special diet you know." I nodded along absentmindedly. This meant that Stefan had started drinking animal blood and was back to his normal self, thank goodness.

"Katherine, if you love him, why don't you tell him that. Why do you stay away?"She gave a sharp intake of breath and shot me a pained look. I had always wondered though, so I didn't regret asking her.

"Katherine, tell me. Why? Do you not really love him?" To my shock Katherine, Katherine Peirce the evil vampire that is out to kill everyone, actually let out a sob. A couple of tears ran down her face and it took me thirty seconds to recover from my shock and pull her into a hug. Who knew Katherine had the capacity to cry?

"It's part of the spell." What was she talking about? My spell? "My real name is Katarina Petrova. I have been seventeen years old for four hundred and thirty years. I had never loved someone before 1864, and I had thought I never would. But I did care deeply for my family, both of them, human and vampire. The tomb is sealed with magic to keep vampires in, but there are other enchantments as well. Emily knew that the only thing that could last even longer than any gem stone she could come up with was me. So Emily decided to punish me for my actions while punishing Stefan, Damon, and everyone else as well. There's a spell on the tomb, if I so much as speak to Stefan or Damon the whole tomb goes up in flames. No matter how much I love Stefan, I couldn't kill my whole family. That's already happened to me once." I hugged her close. No matter what she had done, and the people she had killed, her life had totally sucked and I couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

"It's going to be okay, when everyone is out of the tomb you'll be able to come back. Than you'll be able to talk to Stefan again." _But he'll already have moved on_. I didn't mention that to Katherine, she was hurting enough as it already is. Sniffling, she gathered her self again.

"Enough about me, where have you gone? What did Damon do?" She looked eager enough to know so I humored her.

"Well, the first place I went was Ford's Theater, the night of President Lincoln's assassination…" Katherine gasped before settling into the bed pillows. She looked like a child waiting for a bed time story. Was I mentally disturbed for comparing a blood thirsty (literally) murderer to a small innocent child? I think I might be.

"Everyone was staring at us, and he's kneeling in front of me with the ring, I couldn't say no. It already looked like some of the girls wanted to rip out my hair. I doubt it's real or anything, but the ring is beautiful."She held my hand up to examine the ring on my finger while nodding to my story.

"It is beautiful, and I am envious. It seems that you have managed to pack almost the same amount of adventure into your short life as I have into my long one. I bet back home, in whatever time you are from, you are the one. You know that girl that everyone wants to be?" I almost laughed it off and considered telling her about Elena but her words triggered another memory. I memory of yesterday…

_You are Bonnie; you cause the end, you are the one._

Katherine when I first landed on the _Titanic_ I woke up in Stefan's room. He wasn't there, but a maid came in to tidy up. Her name was Katherine Bennett." Katherine smiled at the thought of one of the Bennetts naming their child after her. "She told me that I was the end, that I was the one. Do you have any idea what she meant?" Katherine gave me a look before opening her mouth to answer, and almost guilty look.

"Bonnie, Emily did not like me, quite the opposite in fact." She paused to take a breath.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Katherine held up her hand and her lips curved upwards into a small smile.

"Just hear me out; you'll understand more by the end of my story." I nodded for her to continue while settling back onto the bed. I could already feel that I was going have to process a lot of information.

"As I was saying, Emily Bennett strongly disliked me; it was not in her own choosing to be my companion. When I first met Emily she was fifteen. She was both engaged in love, just not to the same man. She had been promised by her father to the man who would one day be her future husband, and she cared about him, she truly did. He loved her more than anything in the world and he would make a good husband. As you know Emily was a witch, she knew that and her husband knew that, he came from a long line of magical blood himself, and like many witched still do, Emily hated vampires. But she loved a vampire, his name was Orion I believe, and he loved her, in his own sick way. But some people like to hurt the people that they claim to love, and this vampire was one of those people. He had nearly killed her when I came across them and I saved her life after recognizing she was a witch and could be of use to me. I killed him and she hated me for it, but she was in my debt. She repaid that by accompanying me and casting any spells and enchantments I required." Though her story did offer an explanation to a few things I had wondered I was confused as to why she was telling me any of this.

"I don't understand, what does this have to do with what Katherine Bennett said?"

"Bonnie, Emily did not want to be my companion because she hated vampires. It was against her will to fall in love with Orion, him being a vampire was only one of them. But there was a curse that had been cast on the Bennett line during the seventeenth century. The castor had a twisted mind and happened to be a fan of both Shakespeare and irony. Therefore the curse allowed the Bennett's female decedents to only love one other being in their entire lives, a love for their soul mate. It would have seemed like a blessing right, no searching for Mr. Right? But then they added a sick twist, they changed those girls' fates; they changed each and every one of their soul mates. So that the Bennetts' would only ever love vampires. Their only love sprung from their only hate."

"I don't understand, are you saying my soul mate is some _vampire_? What did we even do to get cursed?"

"You have to remember that a vampire is a person too, Bonnie. No need to be racist. And I'm pretty sure the Bennetts were cursed because your ancestor had an affair with anther witch's husband. The details have been lost in time. But Bonnie, vampires can't have children." I almost refuted her statement. I almost said something about Renesmee Cullen, before I realized that _Twilight _was completely ridicules and unrealistic. What vampire would be able to live being aware that they sparkled in the sun without being suicidal?

"Witches are a dying breed, marriage contracts and parental planned conceptions have been considered. Every time a Bennett witch finds her soul mate there is a risk that she will choose love over family. That's she will choose to live her life with a vampire lover, not producing any children and therefore ending the line. Of course there are branches of the Bennett family out there, but if one chooses love it might inspire more to follow. But Katherine Bennett knew you; she told you that you were the one that caused the end. Now she could mean the end of the world, the end of all witches, the end of supernatural secrecy, and a whole lot of other things. But she could also mean the end of the Bennett line, which I think may be the case." Wow way to tell me I may end the world.

"Umm…why do you think that I'm the end of the line?" It didn't make sense to me why she would jump to that conclusion.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you the most important part. A few years after the curse was bestowed on her, the Bennett witch spoke a prophecy and her husband wrote it down in her grimoire. It's been written in every Bennett grimoire since, to make sure it isn't lost in time." I looked at her expectantly, wondering if she was going to tell me the prophecy or not.

"I copied it out of Emily's grimoire so I could tell you if I needed to." She took a deep breath before reading the prophecy off the paper in her hand, her voice gaining a quality that it hadn't before, the words of age old magic lacing themselves into her voice.

"_One lone witch will be the end of it all_

_Through her heart the line will fall_

_She will surrender our continuation_

_In favor of betrayal and damnation"_

"So I'm going to die of a heart attack after betraying my family and before I have any babies. And what makes you so sure I'm the 'lone witch' they're talking about?"

"You denial never ceases to amazed me Bonnie, and that was only the prophecy spoken by her. Her daughter spoke another and added it to her grimoire." She took another breath before continuing.

"_Five of the chosen shall answer the calls_

_Two old souls, a witch, a clone, and Miss Mystic Falls_

_But beware Bonnie, there will be a price_

_Thirteen drops of blood may suffice_

_Good luck or good riddance only time will tell_

_Once you knock on the doors of hell"_

"That's it?" I was still trying to process, my name had definitely been in this prophecy, and they had mentioned a witch. Caroline was probably the Miss Mystic Falls that they were talking about. I guess the clone was the doppelganger, Katherine or Elena I didn't know.

"There have been a few more prophecies over the years, some speaking of a timeless journey while others just talk about you being thrown back in time. The overall theme is that your trip through time is necessary for whatever you have to do after you answer the call. Most of those weren't written down." I nodded and tried to articulate a thank you, but I couldn't seem to get the words out of my mouth. Katherine didn't seem bother by the lack of words coming out of me though. She pulled me into a one sided hug before rubbing my back in an attempt at comfort. She wasn't very good at it, but then again, I doubt she did this often.

"I know it's a lot to process, but everything is going to be fine in the end." I knew the words were untruthful. She's read the prophecy herself, betrayal and damnation. What a lovely future I have going on for me.

"Come on, let's forget this. There is a party raging downstairs and we're up here moping." She pulled me up off the bed, fixed her hair and than mine, before leading me out the door and down the stairs.

Katherine had been telling the truth, there was a party raging downstairs. A crowd of people who were at least years older than me. But at the same time, they were all only a few years my senior. Time is a funny thing.

"Al, this is my good friend Bonnie Abella. Bonnie, this is Al, Al Capone." My eyebrows shot up when Katherine spoke the mobsters name and I took in his appearance. Blue pinstripe suit, fedora, and a cigar. He looked just like anyone would imagine him.

"A pleasure to meet you Bonnie." He held my hand and placed a chaste kiss on my skin. My hand was just kissed by the most famous mobster in American history! This is like meeting the president…except not really. Meeting Lincoln was totally different.

"I do work for him sometimes, he's really quite nice. He donates a lot of his profits to charity." I smiled and nodded while Al Capone took his leave to go and greet other patrons of the club. I already knew he donated his money, it had said it in our textbook. Tanner had still said stuff about how horrible he was, but then again, Tanner often talked about how horrible of a person **I** was. I guess I shouldn't speak ill of the dead, though technically he hasn't died yet.

I was pulled through the crowd by Katherine, meeting and greeting people who I hoped, as bad as it sounded, did not live to meet me again in my time. That would be awkward. The music resonated through the room as I forgot how many drinks had been placed in my hand. It was hot and I was thirsty, so I drank. I don't pay enough attention in Mr. Saltzman's class to know if this is during the prohibition, but prohibition or not the drinks were definitely alcoholic. I vaguely wondered if I would wake up in twenty years with a hangover. God, I hope not.

It was probably due to my drunken state that I didn't notice the feeling immediately. It wasn't like the times that I traveled through time. It was more like, Christmas morning. You wake up with a bolt because you know you want to run downstairs and open present. Except this was along, drawn out shock. It was still buzzing in my brain while I motioned for Katherine. I quickly managed to get in a hug and farewell before the buzzing stopped, and I opened my eyes that had closed without me being aware.

"Bonnie, are you alright?" Swimming into focus was Damon Salvatore's face. I groaned aloud before flopping back down. I realized a second too late that I could have bashed my head into the floor or something else equally painful, but I didn't have to bother anyway. The back of my head collided with a soft pillow. I looked up again to take in the scene of Damon leaning over my bed with a worried expression. Well, at least he isn't, you know, in the bed with me. I wonder if finding a vampire attractive is considered necrophilia. Not that I find him attractive! I'm just confused right now okay? Besides, I was thinking about… Stefan. He's hot, right?

"Bonnie?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Where am I though?" He leaned away once more. Apparently during this time he respects others personal space.

"Verona, Italy. I'm renting this room." I nodded once to show that I was listening. Katherine had been right about Verona after all. Once again the images of Damon or Stefan sobbing next to a wall while writing a letter frantically to the dead heroine popped up inside my mind. A poorly stifled laugh bubbled out of my mouth. That would never get old.

"Are you sure you're alright?' I rolled my eyes before sitting up in the bed. The room spun and the thumping in my head got infinitely worse.

"Get me an Advil." I groaned out. God, I hated hangovers.

"Advil?" The only thing worse that a hangover? A hangover before good pain medicines had been invented.

"Fuck, I hate this. Stupid spell journey." Damon was looking on confused. "Just get me some water."He nodded before leaving the room, giving me only a few mere seconds of solitude before he was back at my side with a pitcher of water and a glass.

"Is there anything else you need Bonnie?" I saw him glance down at the ring on my finger (I really needed to take that thing off) before back to my face. I looked away from his eyes quickly. They were beautiful and penetrating, and in a few years they would be completely in love with my best friend.

It wasn't until my need to avoid looking at any spot other than his face that I took in the room. Well, not really the room. Just the corner, or rather what occupied it.

"Who is she?" My voice was hard and cold. For a moment I had forgotten just who I was with, and now that the realization was back…I was not going to let my guard slip again.

"Bonnie, you have to understand. I need to eat. Just like you do." I scoffed, he was disgusted. The girl did not say a word; she did not even look at us. She continued to stare at the opposite wall as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. She was compelled of course.

"Get away from me." He immediately reeled backwards a few feet, as though he had been burned. The sheets were smoking, I _had_ burned him.

"You are going to compel her to forget about you, and then you will wake her up from whatever stupor you have put her in. You will take her home and then you will get out of this city. Run all the way to Rome for all I care, just get away from here. Do you understand?" He gave a short nod.

"I understand." It was almost as if I had compelled him. I watched as he kneeled in front of the beautiful young girl and stare into her eyes while murmuring orders. I took in her long brown hair, pale skin, and heart shaped face. My eyes burned as I turned away. There are some things, that even going back eighty years in time cannot get you away from.

I listened as he led her to the door, I heard it open and close behind them. My eyes brimmed over. It would awhile before time took me once more but I did not move. My shoulders sagged in defeat though I'm not sure what I had lost.

I didn't hear him come in. I did not hear him cross the room. I did feel the bed shift as he sat down next to me.

"I'll find you again Bonnie." I already knew that. Some weird council feels the need to keep dropping me in whatever city you are in.

"Is that a threat?" He had told me I would rue the day once upon a time.

"No, it's a promise." He didn't wait for my response before standing.

"Farewell _cara_." He bent and placed a soft kiss on my forehead before opening the window and quietly leaving me in the room alone.

"Good bye Damon." He was long gone and there was no one to hear but I said it anyway. Just to be polite. Sighing I laid back in the bed. While I had the time I might as well attempt to sleep off this hangover.


	11. Fire Is The Devil's Only Friend

**Chapter 11**

**Fire Is The Devil's Only Friend**

_Hate the sin, but love the sinner._

_-Mohandas Gandhi_

**January 27, 2011- The Salvatore Boarding House Living Room**

"Have you guys seen Bonnie, she's not been herself lately. I'm kind of worried." Damon and Stefan both shook their heads at Elena's words, they were poster boys for nonchalance.

"It just seemed odd that she didn't answer her phone, she might have been able to help Rose." Damon winced at Rose's name but quickly recovered.

"What do you want us to say Elena? Neither I, nor my brother, know this Bonnie very well." Stefan nodded behind his brother absentmindedly.

"This Bonnie?" It was only when Elena drew attention to it when the two vampires realized Damon's mistake.

"Yes, _this _Bonnie. We're over a hundred fifty years old Elena, you expect us to have only met one Bonnie in our lives?" Elena sighed and shook her head in defeat. Damon had a way of making you feel stupid whenever he wanted to. With that Elena walked from the room, calling a farewell over her shoulder as she made her way out the front door. She was going to take the matter up with Caroline. When the door shut Stefan immediately whipped his head towards his brother.

"We should tell her."

"Tell her _what_? Oh, by the way Elena, we met your BFF back in 1864 when we were still human and Stefan was a total ass to her. Oh, and we've been meeting her on random days in history ever since. She's not gonna find that at all hard to believe. Especially when Bonnie can't affirm it because it hasn't happened to her yet! Besides Bonnie swore us both to secrecy. We'll tell your little girlfriend when Bonnie comes back, you know it has to be soon. She has the same haircut and she was wearing the outfit we first saw her in the other day. She'll be going back any day now, that's probably why she needed the Bloodstone. She just hasn't worked out the spell's kinks yet." Stefan shook his head.

"What if she's already gone and come back. Maybe she's acting weird because she doesn't want to talk to us after what happened." Now it was Damon's turn to shake his head.

"Believe me Stefan, we would know if she was back. She's wearing certain accessories that she didn't have before she went back." He gestured towards his left hand.

"She could easily have taken the ring off Damon. It's not like she has any sentimental feelings toward the thing. I doubt that day brings back good memories." Damon just shrugged.

"She was still wearing that_ thing_ the last time I saw her." And the conversation ended, there was nothing more to discuss.

* * *

**November 28, 1942- Corner of Shawmut Street, Chicago Massachusetts**

"I thought the police were supposed to be keeping the whores off the streets." Those words were the first I heard when I came too. Not very welcoming words, especially in the tone that they were spoken in. My head throbbed as I sat up. I was getting tired of waking up leaning against the side of a building with no idea where I am. I just want to wake up in my own bed, in my old room. I no longer care if my dad never changed my Strawberry Shortcake wallpaper. I want to go home.

"I thought I might find you here." It was a blonde a few feet away who had spoken- her quick glance to me the only indication that I was the one she was addressing. That and the fact we were the only people left in the alley, the rest had scampered off when they saw I was coming to I guess. I looked at her dumbly- not quite sure what to say to her 'greeting'.

"You are Bonnie right?" I nodded my head. If it turned out that she was just another chick that knew me as Bonnie Abella (was I part of Damon's back story in this time too?) I just might strangle her. Or did Katherine send her? Both of those options were proved wrong when she stepped out of the shadows and I was able to make out more than just her blonde hair. It took me only a few seconds to place her face (and if I had seen it in my own time or my _travels_) and a few seconds more to match a name to that face.

"Lexi." It wasn't a question, I knew for a fact that it _was_ Lexi. But I figured I should acknowledge her in some way and stop acting so stupid. Though I think I have some right to act stupid though, I am going through loads of confusing things right now. But whatever, back to the blonde vampire. With a affirmative nod, that I didn't need, she pushed off the wall and was in front of me before I could even register the blur. She held her arm out for a helping hand and I was reminded that I was on the ground leaning up against a wall on a dirty street. Ignoring the scandalized looks from the few people passing by I reached out and grasped her hand, allowing her to pull me from the ground.

I opened my mouth to ask a question- but my brain couldn't quite organize everything so I could form the question. There were too many questions anyway, none of which I could articulate. How did you know I was here? How did you know who I was? Why does everyone think I'm a hooker? Where am I? What's the date? What was going on?

Apparently the questions had shown on my face because she started answering a few.

"A friend of mine found you a few minutes ago. She scared off any who were hoping to do…_business_ with you and then fetched me to get you. She had to run off after someone, but she left me with instructions to make sure you're alright." I kept staring at her. I knew three people in this time. Damon, Stefan, and Katherine. Both Damon and Stefan were guys so she definitely wasn't talking about them, and I knew for a fact that Lexi thought Katherine was in the tomb (because she totally would have ratted Katherine out to the brothers if she had known Katherine was walking free) so she couldn't be speaking about her either. That left me with no options and a mind still scrambling to make sense of things.

'It's November 28th, in case you're so out of it you don't even know that. How did you know who I was?" I glanced up. She obviously had no idea about my travels through time; does that mean her so called friend has no idea either? She could be trusted in my time, but what about now? Back in my own time I would never have even considered trusting Katherine, but now I would probably trust her with my life. Time changes things, it twists them, and I haven't spent enough time in each place to figure exactly how it twists them.

"Well?" I glanced up. She was eyeing me expectantly, like I owed her an answer or something. Which I guess I did, considering the fact that she did rescue me from the street and all.

"I'll explain once we get to…well once we get to wherever we're going. Who is this friend you've been talking about? And where exactly are we going?"

"We're going to Rose and I's apartment." _Rose_. The vampire I had met on the _Titanic_. That must be who she was talking about, mostly because I didn't know anyone else named Rose. I nodded and stayed silent for the rest of the way.

"You got her?" I heard Lexi answer Rose from the kitchen of their apartment while Rose walked into the living room, where I sat. Rose sent me a smile before calling through the door she had just come through.

"Come on Trevor, there's someone I want you to meet!" I didn't say a word as a tall man with dark hair ambled nervously through the door. I stood from my seat on the couch and held out my hand.

"Hello, I'm Bonnie." He eyed my hand.

"Rose, are you sure she can be trusted, she may turn us in? We cannot afford to trust the wrong people in our situation." I let my hand fall back to my side; I didn't want to look more foolish than I already did.

"Trevor! Firstly, I know our situation, and I know what got us into the situation." Trevor looked _very _guilty after this line; I assume he was the one who got them into whatever situation they seemed to be talking about.

"I know, and I feel guilty every single damn second because of my stupidity! But that's what I'm saying, from what you told me about her, which wasn't much, all we know is that she tried to save a bunch of humans' lives. Katherine," My ears perked up at that. "Seemed like a good person back then too." So they knew Katherine? And they had been wronged by her. But then again, in the vampire world, who hasn't been wronged by Katherine?

"Katherine, as in Katherine Peirce?" All three of their heads snapped towards me.

"Katherine Peirce, Katerina Petrova. You know her?" I suddenly realized it might not have been such a good idea announcing that I knew the person they all seemed to hate.

"Umm…sort of."

"How is that possible? She had been imprisoned in a tomb in Virginia since 1864." Oh if only you knew Lexi, if only you knew.

"Well I knew her before then; I stayed on the Salvatore estate for a short period of time and spent time with both her and the brothers."

"Bonnie, if that is your name, that was nearly a hundred years ago. You are not a vampire, it's impossible for you to still be alive." Lexi turned to Rose. "She must be lying. There is no one in this time who knows her, other than some evil vampires I am sure she hangs out with. We need to wipe her memory and get her out of here."

"Firstly, I'm wearing vervain and I am pretty sure there is still some in my blood stream as well. Secondly, is it really wise to talk about the disposing of your guest directly in front of them? And thirdly, have you ever heard of a doppelganger?" Now I really had their attention.

"As in the Petrova doppelganger?" I shook my head.

"There are more doppelgangers than just the Petrovas; they are merely the most important to the vampires. Or at least they think they are. You see, you may need the doppelganger's blood to break the curse, but you also need the doppelganger of the witch who cast the spell to break it." I was not really sure where I was pulling all of this from, all I could think of was how alike Elena and Katherine had looked and how being a doppelganger had seemed like the only reasonable explanation for me to appear exactly the same as I had so many years before.

"Klaus never mentioned this, he had all the steps memorized, he would have realized…" I shrugged my shoulders.

"Klaus just isn't as well informed as he thinks he is. Besides, why would any witch tell him the truth, it's not like we want the sun and the moon curse to be broken."

"She's lying, it was an Aztec shaman that cast the curse, and if she was a doppelganger she would be a man." I just waggled my finger at him, channeling Katherine and summer at theater camp to keep me from breaking my character.

"Ah, little known fact. Aztec shaman, who cast the curse, didn't really cast the curse. He didn't even have any powers. His daughter, the first Bonnie, cast the curse while he made stupid gestures with his hands pretending to do magic. He was a real bastard and all, but his daughter was powerful. Besides why do you think it took so long for Klaus to find the moonstone, we were protecting it. Anyway, are we done with this interrogation?"

"Not quite. If you're a doppelganger, how did you recognize Rose?" Shit. This is why I should leave the plotting up to the masters like Katherine. Wait, I can do this. I grew up a side kick to Caroline and Elena, some of their plotting must have rubbed off on me.

"We're gifted with the knowledge of the former doppelganger on our eighteenth birthday." I shrugged my shoulders and feigned a look of nonchalance. "We would be useless without it." I perked up suddenly, thinking of Caroline instead of Katherine.

"But really I'm bored at the moment, the moonstone who knows where and the doppelganger won't we born for a long while. I really have no purpose…so, let's go have fun." I smiled brightly, hoping that would convince them of my innocence and they would take me somewhere. Preferably a bar, before this whole mess with vampires/witches/ Elena's parents death, she, Caroline, and Elena used to drink all the time. When a break up occurred they're best friends didn't become Ben and Jerry. No, they only associated with Jack, Jose and Jim (the only men you really can trust) before they came across new (better) man in whatever bar or club they were at. It had been a hard feat considering how small of a town they lived in (everyone knew they weren't over twenty one), but they had managed. So right now, with all the drama that was a lot more serious than Caroline and Michael Martin's break up, I could really use some hard liquor.

Rose sent her a small, tired smile while Trevor just hit her with a glare. It reminded her slightly of Stefan's first response to her, both had disliked her immediately from no doing of her own. Lexi answered her question though, her voice controlled and neutral while her face was the epitome of boredom.

"We'll take you out okay, maybe a club," I smiled (truly genuine this time) thinking about my last time at a club. It had been fun, and exciting, and Katherine had introduced me to the most famous American mobster of all times. "But fist we have to talk about a few things. So you just wait here, okay?" I nodded and they made their way over to the next room, whispers exchanged on the way over. They were discussing me of course, whether I was telling the truth (nope), whether I could be trusted (what was I really going to do to them), and if they should actually take me out somewhere (probably not a smart idea).

After about thirty seconds I got tired of waiting. I wonder if ADHD or whatever can kick in later in life, like randomly. You're normal and taking a test (or waiting while in the next room over a bunch of vampires discuss your future) and suddenly BAM (!) you can't sit still. So naturally, with my newly diagnosed hyperactivity, I sneak off my seat and over to the door. I'm hoping that they're too involved with their discussion to really care about the noises that they can hear with their super vampire hearing or whatever. Or at least, that this won't affect their decision making process in a negative way. Pressing my ear against the crack between the door and the door frame, I was able to hear snatched of their frantic whispers.

"We need someone to bring her to _him_, someone who he won't recognize but someone who also won't feel guilty about it. He'll kill both of us on sight, so we would have to get out of here before he is even called. We can't call any of them either, Lexi can though." That was most definitely Trevor.

"We can't ask that of Lexi, she would be putting herself in danger. Besides she would feel guilty, you know she would." Lexi interrupted.

"First of all, I am right here. Secondly, I think I may know someone who will hand her over with pleasure, all of us will be gone. He can hand her over to _him_ himself. And frankly, it would probably be doing the world a favor if he kills him if it turns out he's lying."

"I don't want to do this, she is a good person." Rose again. If I meet her in the future I should give her a gift or something, she really is great, you know, for a vampire. I think I will count her among my vampire friends. That makes Katherine, Caroline, Stefan, Rose…and Damon? What has my life come to?

"Who is he, a vampire I assume?" Trevor again. I heard a shuffle near my feet and glanced down. I immediately stifle my screech. Mice…their apartment had _mice_. Gross. I quickly pressed my ear against the crack again, hoping to catch who they were talking about, other than me of course. Who were they handing me over to? And who was doing the handing. Unfortunately my small run in with the mouse had caused me to miss a few sentences. I only caught the tale end.

"_Demon"_ Talk about creepy. What's Lexi going on about demons for, aren't they all demons? Are vampires demons? I _so_ have to look this up, because if they are, I have way too many demon friends. I hurried back to my seat on the couch as I waited for them to come back through the door. For vampires they were kind of slow.

Rose immediately made her way over and enveloped in a warm, but very short, hug. She squeezed tightly before whispering in my ear and letting me go.

"I am so sorry." It suddenly struck me that, if it was demon handing me over, how horrible could the person they were giving me to be? And why was I even here, neither Damon nor Katherine are here. I feel completely lost. Part of my brain is registering the fact that Trevor is speaking at me (not really to me, just _at_ me) but the rest is still reeling. Was I going to **die**? Was I even allowed to die, this was the past after all, there must be some kind of weird magic thing keeping me from dying right? I thought back to the _Titanic_. No, there was nothing keeping me from death and I had to remember that. First, I needed to find Damon. Second, I needed to get as far away from Damon as possible... I was going to take one more trip through time and then I am going to wake up in my own bed. I can just forget all of this ever happened. I'll just have to avoid the Salvatore's for a while, at least one of them… Focus Bonnie, find Damon, and get away from Damon. Okay, deep breaths.

"So who are you getting to hand me over?"

"Damon Salvatore." Well, that was easier than I thought. Ahh Damon, Demon, an easy enough mistake to make.

"Ah, I see you finally ditched Saint Stefan, Lexi, good call by the way." Damon had strutted through the door five seconds ago and he was already insulting people, that must be some kind of record. But then again, it is Damon, so probably not.

"Damon, be quiet. I don't want to hear it, so don't even bother. He's already been notified and apparently he was already close by, he's on his way. You can handle it, just make sure she gets to the Opera House in time and you'll be fine. Hope I never see you again." She spun out of the room in a whirlwind, her long blonde hair whipping behind her, and I heard the front door slam shut a second later. Damon paused for a beat, frozen in place and not uttering a word.

But just as quickly he sprang back to life, startling me slightly from my perch on the couch. He just sent me an easy grin and a wink.

"Hello there gorgeous." He was across the room immediately, my hand in his grasp and his lips on my knuckles. "I didn't know when I'd be seeing you again," He breathed in deeply through his nose before raising his face to meet my eyes. "But you smell just as delectable as ever." He pressed another kiss on the back of my hand before I snatched my hand away, eying him with disgust. He smirked back before making himself comfortable beside me on the couch. I inched away from him, nervous. He was acting like the Damon Salvatore from the future, and that was not good. Although I never knew quite where I stood with Damon (from any time) he always seemed much kinder in the past than he ever had in my time. But now, he was just as unpredictable and dangerous as I remembered him to be.

"So, when are we leaving for the Opera House?" Damon surveyed her silently, as if measuring her up.

"Soon, but first we need to get you out of those clothes," His eyes swept over my body and I gave him the darkest glare I could. He chuckled slightly before raising his hands just above his head in mock surrender. "And into new ones. Klaus will notice if you're in out of date clothes and he won't believe your story. Which was so obviously a lie, I'm surprised they even fell for it. You must be a marvelous actress." I rolled my eyes, he was a charmer. His voice was as smooth as honey and I could almost see why he had women falling head over heels in love with him for decades. _Almost._

"Fine, where exactly are we supposedly getting these clothes? It looks like it's a bit late to be going to any department stores." He shook his head at me, holding a hand at his heart as if I had hurt him.

"Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie. You wound me. You thought I would take you to a department store? No, I know somewhere much better than that. Now come on." He stood and I cautiously followed his lead, slinging my bag around my shoulder before facing him completely. His grin, which was disturbingly menacing and attractive at the same time, did nothing to comfort me.

"Don't look so scared Bonnie, live a little." And suddenly the space between us had disappeared and I was pressed against his chest staring into his eyes. My breath hitched (purely out of surprise of course) and I immediately felt the blood pooling to my cheeks. As his eyes glanced down to look at my flushed face I suddenly remembered that this was a _vampire_ I was pressed up against. This wasn't some guy where the only risk was a bad kiss, this was a vampire, this was _Damon_. I was _so_not going to turn into a vampire lover like Elena.

I ignored the small voice in the back of my head asking if I had made this decision too late.

"What do you think of this dress Miss Bonnie?

"This one would bring out your eyes magnificently."

"Oh, try on these shoes Miss Bonnie!"

"How about this necklace, it would match that dress perfectly."

I almost laughed aloud in delight at the servants surrounding me, holding up various articles of clothing that I guessed were high fashion in this time. I had felt a twinge of guilt when Damon had first compelled them, but it wasn't like he was forcing them to do anything bad. Besides, this felt like a (slight more sinister because of the whole vampire aspect) straight out of _Pretty Woman_. And that had been Mine and Caroline's favorite movie growing up (even with its inappropriate themes), and even if Elena had preferred _Material Girls._

"Why not this hair style? Here, look at yourself in the mirror." I was swiveled around to see the up doo my hair was currently being held in place as. Looking at the ten people bustling around me and I myself sitting still in the middle of it I couldn't help but laugh.

"I can't decide! There are so many choices, and I really have no idea what is in right now. I just…" I trailed off as I ran my hand over three dresses being held before me at the moment.

"She'll take that, that, that, and…this." Damon had picked my outfit for me. I had to be slightly relieved, I really had no idea what to pick. But I was slightly apprehensive as well, from my vantage point I could just make out his figure leaning against the doorframe from the corner of my eye. I had no idea what he had picked, but I was comforted in the fact I could see all of the possibilities; and none of them looked like stripper attire.

"What year is it? What's going on nowadays?" He pushed himself off the wall and strode across the room, locking eyes with me in the mirror as the girl pinned my hair back.

"It's November of 1942. America's as war." My eyebrows furrowed slightly, 1942 that would mean…

"With Germany?" He nodded curtly before amending my statement slightly.

"With the Nazis and their allies." And that w as when a thought struck me, I remember my history classes through school. Mr. Turner may not have been the best teacher (far from it) in the world, but he loved statistics. I remember us studying WWII. I remember how many people were killed.

Over 5 million Jews. Half a million gypsies. Fifty thousand Catholic priests.

And those weren't exact, though the Nazis were sickenly good record keepers, they still could not keep track of all the blood their hands spilled. Not even counting those who hadn't died; but were driven to insanity. I turned to glare at him, startling the girl holding out the dress for me to step into.

Here before her stood a man who was nearly invincible, and her was just going to let all those people die?

"You're a vampire, why don't you just go over to Germany and rip his heart out. You would be saving millions, Damon. How can you just sit here, and let him kill all of those innocent people?"He shook his head at me, as if I were still a child. "What? You could kill Hitler! Easily!" I was starting to get angry, was he really that much of a jackass?

"Bonnie, he knows. Do you really think that he would still be alive if he didn't? He has pissed off quite a few vampires, if he was clueless he would definitely be dead at the moment."

"Oh." Now not only did I feel stupid (Damon seemed to have a talent for making people feel that way) but I felt kind of bad too. I _was_ accusing him of being a heartless ass that didn't care about all those people. "Sorry." It wasn't a very sincere apology, but at least it was one, right?

He waved his hand, nonchalantly brushing away the half said accusations of a few minutes prior. No words were said as I felt the last buttons of my dress being buttoned. I felt a necklace being draped around by neck for a moment before the weight of the metal was suddenly gone and Damon was no longer leaning against the door frame in front of me.

"No, this one, something this beautiful deserves to be worn by someone worthy of its beauty." For the second time in my life I felt his fingers brush my skin as he close the clasp of yet another necklace he was gifting me with. Blood pooled to my cheeks once again and I knew that even if my blush would be hard to spot for a normal person, Damon could probably _smell_ my blush. How embarrassing.

"Now come, we've overstayed our welcome here." I barely got a glance in the mirror (and all I really say was a blur with my hair) before being tugged from the room and out of the house. I half ran half leaped to keep up with him. My feet were stumbling over themselves before they fell into a only slightly uncomfortable pattern. We were not really going that fast, but Damon's legs were much longer than mine and he seemed very exuberant over wherever we were going. Was he really that eager to turn me over to Klaus? He did realize he was practically handing me over to the devil?

I guess this was the answer my mind had been seeking the entire time. The kisses, the _moments_ I had thought meant something, the **engagement** ring; they all meant nothing. He would fight so hard for Elena if she had been in this situation. In fact, in modern times I know he _is_ fighting hard for her. I know Elena, she's probably tried to hand herself over to Klaus multiple times already, she was always such a martyr. I also know that both Stefan and Damon have put aside their differences (to an extent) to protect her (even from herself). I sigh, trip again, and regain my balance without Damon breaking his stride. Her story is not a romance, it's not a tragedy, hell it's not even a comedy. And you know what? Having a life that could never be made into a movie; totally sucks.

"Wait! That's the alley I woke up in!" It was true, it was the same alley. However, it seemed Lexi had not told Damon where she had come across me so his long strides stopped short. This caused me to run headlong into his back (not that he seemed to notice, I bounced back but he hadn't moved and inch).

"They found you in an alley?" I looked at him strangely. What had he expected? Didn't he know that I showed up in the worst places? Hmm, maybe not. When I woke up with him there after spending time with Katherine I was already in a bed. I wonder where I had actually appeared.

"Umm, yeah. I really have no control over where I show up. Where did you find me?"

"I came home with," He paused for a minute trying to remember something. "Dinner," I guess he was trying to remember that girls name. Did he actually let her go as I had asked. "And I found you there on the bed, sleeping."

"Well believe me, that is not the norm. When we were out west I woke up leaning against the side of a building. And here, I obviously did the same. Now, come one, we have to get to that Opera House." I'm not sure why I was hurrying him to bring me to my very probably death (I knew there was no possibility of my lies convincing Klaus, my only chance at living was if he had some secret group of witches working for him or something). He spun around t face me, holding my shoulder with both hands to keep me looking at him.

"Bonnie, you didn't actually think I was going to bring you to some random vampire like cattle up for slaughter did you?" I shook my head, hoping he would not catch on to the fact that I _did_ think that is what he was doing.

"But Damon, you kind of have to. It's Klaus, the-." He put a finger to my lips to effectively cut me off.

"Klaus is a myth, he doesn't actually exist, Bonnie. He was made up by a bunch of paranoid vampires and werewolves." Oh, he was naïve. Klaus wasn't real, sure. "Now, come on. There's a reason I brought you here. And that reason; its fun." And without waiting for any verbal response from me, his hand once again was grasping mine and pulling me forward. He pulled me toward the building that bordered the alley on one side.

"He pulled me through the building so swiftly (and the lighting was not very good I can tell you that) that I couldn't quite determined what the building _was_. What I could tell was that it was **full**_**, **_completely packed. Finally he stopped. On a stage surrounded by artificial palm trees (the decorating was very Casablanca) was a man playing piano. All around were booths and tables. A few couples swayed to the music in the middle of the room.

"What is this place?" I watched as a young man unscrewed a light bulb (was that allowed) as his date watched on with giggles. Once he had succeeded the task the room was even darker and you barely make out him or his date. It didn't matter if you couldn't see them, we all knew _exactly_ what they were doing.

"This room? This is the Melody Lounge. The whole thing is the Cocoanut Grove. Now, enough talking, let's dance." And then I was spun, right into his arms and we were swaying along with the other couples. And for a few moments, a few precious moments, we were both at peace. And then my fat mouth ruined it (I think that the club setting brought back my horrible old habits).

"Do you love Katherine, Damon?" He immediately recoiled, putting distance between our bodies. My head felt fuzzy from both exhaustion and the cigarette smoke surrounding us. I never could smoke, it affected me badly.

"What?"

"Well, you're willing to wait around a hundred and fifty years for a comet to come around again so that you can let her out of the tomb. You must love her right?" He pulled me over to sit in a booth.

"God, I need a smoke to have this conversation." And with that he pulled a lighter and cigarette out of his jacket. He looked back at me after inhaling deeply.

"I didn't know you smoked." He shrugged before inhaling again.

"It takes edge off, better than bourbon even." He blew out and the sweet smell of cigarette smoke hit me more powerfully than before. I wrinkled my nose and tried to prevent myself from swaying as my head swam.

"Well I could never, just the smoke makes me feel sick." He immediately flicked the cigarette away. He then seemed to realize that the entire room was enveloped with smoke. Everyone was smoking.

"Come on, let's get you some fresh air than." In a minute we were out on the street once again. I breathed in the fresh air in wonder, my head already feeling clearer.

"Come on let's walk." This time it was me pulling him along. My hand pulling the crook of his arm while his hands stayed firmly within his pockets. His faced held a small smile due to his amusement at my obvious excitement to get away from the smoke filled club. We were only three blocks down when I heard the sirens.

"What's going on?" I hadn't been asking anyone in particular, I hadn't even realized I had asked the question aloud. It was just the question you always ask inside your head when you here sirens; 'What happened' or 'Who's hurt'.

"Why don't you turn around and see, Miss." And I turned just as the fire truck rushed by me. Down the street was a building ablaze. Three blocks down. I walked a few steps closer, a few steps away from Damon who hadn't moved. The Cocoanut Grove was on _fire_. I ran down another block. It was definitely the Cocoanut Grove, no doubts on that. And it was definitely on fire, and the firefighters couldn't seems to be doing anything about that. Worse though, barely anyone was coming out.

"Why isn't anyone coming out?" I was nearly hysterical but another man who was watching from a few feet away answered my question.

"I've been in there a few times, all the fire escapes are boarded and chained to keep people from leaving without paying their bill. The other doors open inwards, people are probably in such a rush to get out that there is no way to open the doors inwards. Plus its always over packed. The front door is revolving, all in all, the place was just begging for a fire." I turned back to Damon who was watching the scene with an impassive face.

"Take me back to Lexi and Rose's place. Now." He nodded and held out his arm for me to take. I didn't take it.

Everyone was crowded on the street outside the Cocoanut grove so once we turned the corner the streets were empty.

"You didn't put out your cigarette."

"Pardon?"

"In the club, you didn't put out your cigarette. You started that fire."

"Bonnie, I highly doubt-."

"No, you started that fire! Why didn't you put it out!" I was yelling. I was making a scene. I'm sure if there were people here they would be staring.

"Bonnie, I didn't start the fire. And even if I did, who cares-?"

"WHO CARES? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? PEOPLE ARE DYING IN THERE DAMON! DYING!" I heard a clap of thunder behind me and the wind whip my hair around my face. The rain started to pour and lighting streaked the sky. More thunder.

"Yes, I am well aware of what is going on, Bonnie." He was the epitome of cool and collected while I was seething and red in the face. "But they are just a few humans. Hardly worth anything really, worthless actually, they wouldn't have amounted to anything I'm sure-."

"Just a few humans, Damon?" My voice was calm then. I guess it would be the calm after the storm (the storm stopped as soon as my I had calmed, had I caused that?) but for some reason I felt that it was the calm _before_ the storm.

"Yes, now-."

"They're just worthless humans who would never have amounted to anything, right. It's almost good that they dies, get rid of some of the excess population, right?" He didn't respond, probably the best choice. "What about me, Damon? Am I just as worthless as the rest of them? Maybe I should go back there and throw myself into the blaze?"

"No! Bonnie, you're worth so much more-!"

"Damon, I'm just as human as the rest of them, why am I so much more important?" I turned and walked away, hoping that tomorrow I would wake up in my own time already.

"You're Bonnie, you're worth more than all of them put together." I pretended not to hear, because even if I was held above the faceless masses, I would never be above Katherine or fucking _Elena_.

"Just leave Damon, I've never liked Chicago. The sooner you leave, the sooner I can." And I continued down the street till I found the building Rose and Lexi's apartment was located in. I made my way up the stairs and thanked my lucky stars that the door to the empty apartment was unlocked. Except the apartment wasn't empty. Sitting on the couch, sipping something from a tea cup, was a man. Behind him stood a man and a woman both dressed in black; _bodyguards_. I knew who this man was instinctively. Why did he need bodyguards? He should be the strongest vampire in the history or, well ever. He seemed to catch where my gaze lay.

"I do not like to get my hands dirty, believe me Bonnie, I require no protection." His accent was hard to place. It sounded German, but it also held the beauty of a French accent. It was as smooth as honey and I had a feeling this man didn't need compulsion to get people to do what he wanted.

"I never would have thought you did Mr…I'm sorry I don't know your last name."

"Please just call me Klaus." I nodded and took a seat on the couch opposite him." He poured me a cup from the teapot without asking if I wanted any.

"Don't worry, it is simply Earl Grey,I did not add a simple drop of blood." I smiled and took a sip. It tasted like ordinary tea.

"Now, my secretary told me that a vampire had caught an interesting witch who claimed she was a doppelganger of the witch who performed the spell, and that to break the curse the witch casting the spell must be a doppelganger. Now, is this true?" Well, there was really no point in lying to him.

"No, I just told them that to explain why I look exactly the same as I did thirty years ago."

"You're not a vampire, and you are not a doppelganger. So, how _did_ you manage to do that?"

"I'm traveling through time." He chuckled slightly, shaking his head.

"Now that is one I haven't heard before, but then again anything is possible. You are a witch, correct. I do not think a normal human's body could handle the stress of actually travelling through time. And how exactly are you changing time periods? A spell? A specific object?"

"Yes I'm a witch. And the first trip back was activated by a spell, it was only supposed to take me back a few months but it ended up taking me to 1864. Now I'm trying to get back to my own time, but I only disappear when a certain vampire sets a certain amount of distance between us."

"Hmm, that's an interesting one. Is this certain vampire running out of town right now?" I nodded. "So we don't have much time left do we?" I shook my head. "Well, I could use this time to kill you. But I quite look forward to running into you in the future, so instead why don't I do something a bit untraditional." I nodded. I wasn't going to die today!

"Ask me a question, any question, and I'll answer it truthfully." Oh this is like those things they ask you in school where they are like 'If you had one question for *insert important person here* what would you ask them?'It's always so hard to decide! How old are you? How many people have you killed? Does being alive for that long suck? Finally I settled on something I had been wondering.

"If vampires have rings that protect them from the sun, and if vampires are nearly extinct, why bother trying so hard to break the curse. Why not work towards world domination or something?" Oh god, I just gave him the idea to take over the world! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. I just changed the future didn't I? Klaus' laugh broke through my panicked thoughts.

"You are quite amusing, I really do look forward to meeting you once more. As for your question, let's see…. I do not wish for world domination, I could have had it long ago if that is what I wanted. Though I am not sure how those enchanted stones work for other vampires, but they block the sun for me. I always feel like it is night, no matter how hot the sun. I am a man of simple pleasures Bonnie; all I desire is to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin again. I would do anything just to feel that joy again."

"Even kill innocent people." He laughed again.

"Bonnie, in this day and age, or any for that matter," He sent a wink at me. "No one is innocent. Everyone is a sinner, and all saints are fakes." I decided not to contradict him, partly because he had a point, and mostly because I didn't want him to change his mind about the whole not killing me thing.

"I sense you fading, Bonnie, you will be going soon." He stood and I followed his lead. He stooped and picked up my bag and pressed it into my hands. "I assume this is yours?" I nodded and slung the bag over my shoulders. "And take this too, you never know what _time zone_ you will end up in." He handed me a long tan double breasted overcoat. That could be useful.

"Elijah, Corinne, remember this one. She is going to be important." Both nodded in agreement with Klaus. Klaus grasped my hand and laid a kiss, not on the back of my hand but on my wrist, right above the vein. Creepy. I felt myself begin to fade (how had he felt it before I had)?

"Goodbye Klaus."

"Till next time Bonnie." And then I was gone. For a moment I was vampire free. If only my life stayed that way.


	12. There Will Be No Promises Of Tomorrow

**Chapter 12**

**There Will Be No Promises Of Tomorrow**

_You're waiting for a train. A train that will take you far away._

_You know where you hope this train will take you. But you can't know for sure._

_Yet it doesn't matter...because you'll be together._

_-Inception_

"Bonnie, listen to me. Elena is going to die. You need to stop it. It's going to happen soon; you have to get home. Klaus and Elijah are just too much and she won't be able to handle the magic, she's not powerful enough. Only you will be able to harness it, you have time running through your blood. We need you. I need you." Katherine's voice swam through my head, sounding desperate. One message came through clear, it felt like hundreds of people were screaming at me from all directions. You Need To Get Home.

* * *

"Ughh, shit." I touched my lower back tenderly. That was going to bruise. Cautiously, I stood and glanced around. I stood on a sidewalk and eyed the people around me. It was muggy and hot. Rain was just starting to trickle down, but in the way that you know, in a few moments the sky will be pouring buckets on you. I hastily threw my new coat from Klaus on, buttoning it tightly so no one stared at me oddly for my out-of-time outfit.

Through the rain, it had picked up just as I (and everyone else) had predicted, I could see a few signs and my surroundings well enough. The lights of The Empire Theater were clear as day through the rain. A few other people stood near me, but they were all shifting away, as if I carried a disease or something like that.

I searched for a sign, a newspaper, or even just someone who wasn't looking at me like I was highly contagious (seriously, did I have something on my face?), _anything_that could clue me into where, not to mention when, the hell I was. Unfortunately for me no one stands outside conveniently reading a newspaper when it is **pouring**out_._

I tugged at the collar of the coat, a vain attempt to keep me from getting wet. I tried to deduce where, and what the year may be, from my surroundings. I had never been good at these sort of things. Before Elena's parents died we were always happy, always bubbly, and always the center of the room. I had no need to be observant, people were observant for us (or at least observant _of_ us). People I eyed me suspiciously as I stared hard at them. I guess I could not blame them, I would always look out of place. Finally something hit me.

The street was _segregated_. The people on the streets glanced at people to seemingly check their skin tone. When they passed someone of the opposite coloring they gave each other a wide berth of space. Even the corner where I stood, where people together seemed to be waiting for something, the races stood separated by a five foot gap. They did not speak to each other, not a word was passed between them.

I presumed they were waiting for a bus and decided to join them. The bus would most likely be able to tell me where (and perhaps even when) I was. If not, it may be able to take me out of town, and therefore away from Damon. Just as I began to make my way towards the group of three on the right I saw the yellow and green bus round the far corner. I passed in front of the group on the left, and fell flat on my face.

"Get up bluegum." I looked up to see the face of a young man, probably the same age as Jeremy. The cruel and arrogant look on his face reminded me strongly of Tyler Lockwood when he taunted those he felt beneath him. Far beneath him. His sneer made me quickly look away. The bus was getting closer, but seemed to have slowed considerably. Perhaps the bus driver wished to watch.

I hesitantly tried to stand. My hands were scraped from where they had attempted to break my fall on the sidewalk. My knees felt as if they had received similar treatment. The young man, more of a boy really, kicked my leg. I fell once more, and I felt the burn of humiliation and pain on my face. My eyes began to prick and I knew that hot tears were forming there, just waiting to fall and humiliate me further.

"Get up crow, and go stand with your fellow niggers." Another kick. I saw something sparkle before hitting the sidewalk with a splash. To me, that tear sounded as loud as a gong, announcing the whole world how weak I was. I decided that hesitancy would not help me, in a rush I stood and before he could kick me once more I took the rushed three steps it took me to get to the other group. None of them looked angry, they looked…tired. I guess I could relate to that.

The boy opened his mouth as if to say something, but an older man behind him laid a hand on his shoulder. With a shake of the man's head, the boy snapped his mouth closed and shot me one more sneer before turning away. The bus finally pulled to a stop in front of us and opened its doors. I made no move to get on, I knew that the whites would have the right get on first.

I waited till all of those waiting, of both races, were on before climbing the stairs of bus Number 2857. I reached into the pocket, for a moment fearing that I would not have the quarter that the sign wanted. To my relief, and surprise, the coat Klaus had bestowed on my was well stocked. I found a numerous amount of bills beneath my fingertips, though I dared not take them out to check the values of them, before my tips found a quarter. Quickly I slid the coin through the slot before facing the rest of the bus. My eyes caught another pair, a pair I knew so well, that sat beneath ink black hair. My feet carried me on past those, to a row farther back, into the section that was designated for the "Colored".

After taking my seat I saw that the boy who had kicked me was still standing in the center of the aisle. The white section was out of seats. The bus driver had obviously come to this conclusion as well because he stood and moved the sign so it stood a row back.

"Y'all better make it light on yourselves and let me have those seats." None of them moved for a moment, but then the bus driver spoke again.

"'Let me have these seats." The man and two women immediately stood and made their way farther back. The older of the two women sat in the remaining seat while the other stood, grasping the bar that stood in the aisle. My eyes had followed them and their movements before snapping back to the bus driver who had not moved. One of the women had moved, but not in the right way. She had moved towards the window seat, to the seat that had recently been vacated by the man.

"Why don't you stand up?" The bus driver, James Blake according to the nametag on his chest, asked her.

The woman looked up at him with tired eyes. I wondered if she was tired with her day full of work, or from the oppression she had faced all of her life. "I don't think I should have to stand up." With a jolt I realized where I was, when I was, and who I was with. Because the woman talking to the bus driver was _Rosa Parks_.

"If you don't stand up, I'm going to have to call the police and have you arrested." She stared up at him with conviction and determination.

"You may do that." The bus driver nodded and made his way to the front and did just as he had threatened to do. It did not take long for the police to show up. I watched the historical scene play out before my eyes as the police boarded the bus to arrest a woman we had read about in elementary school.

As the police officer cuffed her I heard her question him before he lead her off the bus. "Why do you push us around?" Despite the silence on the bus, no one had uttered a word after a man in the front had silenced his son's derogatory comments with a look, I couldn't hear the officer's response as he followed his detainee off of the bus. I saw him shrug and continue on.

The bus was silent, the two ends of the bus not speaking a word between them. Three people got off at the next stop. The bus stayed silent. When the bus screeched to a stop for the second time since Rosa Parks had been escorted off, I stood. The bus doors folded open with a squeal and a thud. I could kind-of-sort-of feel Damon's presence stepping down the stairs after me, a last minute decision to follow me I guess. I kept my eyes ahead of me, not sparing a glance for the man who had been watching me my entire life.

The first overhang I see is blue and white and it belongs to a café. Since its closed and the rain seems to have kept everyone home, I didn't let the sign proclaiming 'For Whites Only' keep me from standing under it. We stood in silence, simply listening to the rain pounding the pavement.

"I wonder if I'm drawn to important events draw me in or something." The words break the spell of the silence and I briefly wonder if he minded. A car horn honks in the background and I remember that I shouldn't care. As I get closer to my time (it's only what, 35 years until I'm born) things that I should have been thinking about _a lot_more have been resurfacing. Hence the long contemplated silences. Like how Elena is the brunette that should be my best friend, not Katherine. And how Katherine should be labeled 'Enemy' in big bold letters, underlined many times within my head. And how it is wrong for me to have ever been scared of, oh so kind, Stefan. And how this (boy, man, vampire) in front of me belongs to Elena. The ring that is still on my finger grows hot at the thought. I want to rip it off and throw it into the rain and out of my sight, and I want to wear it and cherish it forever. When did things get so complicated.

"Why would you think that, is today important?" Is today important? Did people think that after other important events? Did Abraham Lincoln think that when he woke up the day I met him? Did the passengers of the Carpathian think that as they sat down for breakfast? Did Neil Armstrong think that before he stepped down the stairs and placed a foot on the moon? Okay, so Neil Armstrong, definitely knew that day was important, so scratch that last one.

"It's far from the beginning, or the end, of the movement. But what you just witnessed, what Rosa Parks just did, is a catalyst for what is about to come crashing down on Montgomery, and the rest of the United States. So yes, today is important." I don't know if he nods, or frowns, or smiles. I don't know if his face held any reaction to my words at all. Because I hadn't looked at him. Aside from the quick glance on the bus I had kept my eyes stubbornly averted from him. I was terrified that if I looked at him I wouldn't be able to stop.

"But what about the others? Surely not all of them were important." If I weren't so determined not to, I would have definitely been staring at him now. As it was, I let the silence speak in the same way a bewildered stare would have- completely disbelieving. Quickly realizing what he had said, he amended his statement.

"Well, other than Lincoln's assassination." I didn't speak a word. "And the sinking of the _Titanic_." He quickly added. I smiled to myself, he had always seemed to know what I had wanted him to say in our conversations, at least in my time that is. The farther back in time, the less he seemed to be able. Perhaps it was a learned talent.

"Yes, those were rather important events weren't they." I almost felt bad. Here he was, making an actual effort towards this conversation, and all I could manage was a rather dry reply.

"Yes, yes, they were important but what about the others? 1877? 1922? The last time I saw you?" I looked to my right as I heard a laugh. Two boys running down the street, hopefully towards their home and out of the rain.

"Did anyone die in that club Damon, because of the fire?" The boys disappeared around the corner. I had never wanted children, they were loud and messy. But then again, I have no idea how my magic or the time travel would affect my body. Not to mention that the only person I seemed to have any desire to…_procreate_ with is very much unable to do so. Somehow the lesson that you don't know what you've got until it's gone is one that you have to learn through experience.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I found myself musing over the fact that I could see Elena with children and grandchildren as clear as day, but I couldn't even pick up a hint of children of my own future. Then again, I had had always had issues picking up my own future. Grams had never had the same problem herself. Perhaps I don't have a future. Maybe I die. That fortune teller Elena, Caroline, and I went to when we were twelve _had_ told me that I would be young and beautiful in my grave.

"Yes, people died." I nodded, I already knew this.

"How many?"

"Four hundred and ninety-two" Somehow even I wasn't expecting a number quite that large. I also hadn't expected him to whip out an exact number like that. It was almost as if he felt he needed to know, almost as if Damon Salvatore felt…remorse." Then again, he could have just read it in a newspaper.

"I think that is enough to make that night important. As for 1877, well, I saved two people's lives that visit. I feel that makes it important, as well as the fact that they were my ancestors."

"And 1922? You spent the entire day in bed before waking up and fighting with me. What exactly about that is important?"

"That was different. Ka-." I stopped. Damon was supposed to think that Katherine was in the tomb. He had to think that. "That was different."

"How?"

"I wasn't supposed to be there Damon, but then again I wasn't supposed to be anywhere near here, or you."

"Bonnie, what are you talking about?" I sighed, because even though there were at least thirty more years left before I would be born, and that seemed like plenty of time for at least a few more stops, I _knew_ this was my last. And it wasn't like that niggling feeling in the back of your mind where you know you've forgotten something, or you know that you're going to regret this later. This was different. I knew in the way that I _knew_ Elena was going to meet a dark used-to-be-tall handsome stranger. I knew in the way my Grams _knew_ that she was going to die the night we opened the tomb. I knew the way that fortune teller _knew _that I was going to die young.

I finally looked at him and I found my initial fear was not unfounded. I was already enraptured. My eyes traced the planes on his face and I found myself absorbing the dark hair and pale skin. But as I committed all of it- all of _him_- into memory, I found one thing that was priority. His eyes. Because they were filled with something more than desperate curiosity to know what was going on. Because she could see in his eyes, that he actually truly cared about her. And I knew, I had never seen that look in his eyes in the future. And that could only mean one thing. Something had happened, today on my last trip, that would make him stop caring.

And it was more than him simply no longer caring about me. It was more than that, he would stop caring about _anything_. About me. About Stefan. About the 492 people that he may have killed that night. And he would channel all that into the person that he knew would be able to teach him how to cut off his feeling wholly and completely. Katherine. Someone had to make that something happen. And that someone had to be me.

"Bonnie, tell me what you mean."

"Would you like to go get some ice cream with me, Damon?" Abrupt and obvious subject change. Nice.

"What?"

"Damon, there must be some ice cream parlor around here that is open. Do you think you could find one?" I twist the ring around my finger nervously, scared that he will simply ignore my overly obvious ploy and demand answers from me. However, he nods his head instead.

"What kind of ice cream would you like?"

"Vanilla." My order is horribly boring and I know it. But even if I knew what flavors they had in this time frame at the moment, it would have still ordered vanilla. I've ordered vanilla since I was little, and I don't think I've ever ordered anything else. I'm pretty sure the only time I've eaten a different type of ice cream was at birthday parties. I just realized how sad my life is.

Damon accepted my request without comment before speeding off in the direction, I presumed, of the nearest ice cream parlor. I numbly sat on the damp curb. The rain was letting up. That should make it easier for Damon. I felt a hot pinprick in my eye before I swallowed and hid away any signs of tears or sobs that may have been surfacing. Vampires are fast, and I had no idea how soon Damon would return. I couldn't afford for him to find me crying. It would ruin the image I was about to portray.

I had always been good at acting, and lying too, to an extent. But I knew this would be hard. Harder than lying to Tanner about her paper on Virginia in the Revolutionary War, harder than lying to Grams about what the stain on her grimoire was. It would be the hardest lie I had ever told. But also the easiest. Because in a way I had already told the lie, and it had already succeeded in its purpose.

I gave the ice cream a few good licks before I began speaking. I had a feeling I wouldn't be finished before it melted, and if by some chance I did, I would not be in the mood for ice cream. I inhaled one last deep breath before beginning.

"Damon, I'm from the future." He looked like he was about to interrupt (most likely with the obvious 'I know that already') but I held my hand up to stop him. I was going to finish this in one grand sweep of truth, lies, and heartbreak.

"I'm from the future and you're in love with my best friend. And she is perfect, but I'm not, and maybe that's why it was so easy for me to do this." I closed my eyes, trying to prepare what I'm going to say and how I am going to say it. I feel his hand on mine, as if he is trying to soothe me, to make it easier. I pull my hand away.

"When I came back to Mystic Falls, when you were still human, it wasn't on purpose. I didn't come back for you, or Stefan, or Katherine. It was an accident. I had wanted to go back a few months, and keep myself from becoming involved with certain issues that Mystic Falls had. Basically I wanted to stop myself from discovering the fact that I was a witch, and from finding out that you and Stefan are both vampires. I wanted that, because I thought that would fix everything." I opened my eyes to his probing eyes and his handsome face and succeeded in choking back a sob. This was harder than I thought.

"In the future me and my grandmother stood, or will stand I guess, in between you and something you want. You threatened her, and you tried to kill me. Stefan saved me, but later along the line my grandmother dies." I felt him reel back away from me when I tell him what he tried to do to me. I open my mouth to continue but he stops me.

He holds one finger to my lips, keeping me silent as he seems to think about what he wished to say. He pulls me into him, burying his face in my hair for no more than a second before he pulls away. His lips are on mine and gone before I can even register him coming closer. The briefest of brief kisses. One that I'll always remember, but one that will never be enough.

"I wanted to do that before you say anything else. Because I know that you wouldn't be be acting like this if what you are going to say isn't something bad. And if it's something bad, it's going to change something. But before you go on, just answer me this question. Will I ever see _you_ again?" I know what he's asking by that '_you_'. The Bonnie that he knows now, not the Bonnie that he now knows he will become acquainted with in his future.

I look into his eyes and I see so many things. Hope, friendship, worry, and something that is both just beginning and seems to have been there all along. Something that really shouldn't be there when he looks at _me_. And right there, in this moment, I want to be selfish. I want to be like Katherine, and Elena, and maybe even Caroline. I want to tell him yes, you will see me. That he just needs to wait for me in a town that is far far away from Mystic Falls so that he never meets a fallen angel named Elena Gilbert. And that is the second time I've thought the name of my former-current-future best friend in the space of a few seconds, and it spurs another thought into action. I remember that I am not any of my best friends. I'm just Bonnie. Bonnie who is loyal. Bonnie who is trustworthy. Bonnie who is _selfless_._This is the moment where everything changes._

"Yes, you will see me again. But after today I will never have to see you again, and I am so excited." Her voice has hardened even faster that his face took on its confused look. His arms snake their way away from around my waist. The lack of contact helps my voice grow an even icier edge to it.

"I am excited because you killed my grandmother. Going to 1864 may have been a mistake, but it was also a great opportunity. To trick the trickster, break the breaker, and if I was really lucky, kill the killer. Because looking at you, a despicable _**monster**_, repulses me, in every way possible. Every kind word or action that I have carried out towards you has been a lie. Because I would never, could never, love _you_." I try to swallow the stone in my throat before I come to the conclusion that the task is impossible. Damon opens his mouth as if to say something before closing it again. I stand in the silence hoping he hurries up and leaves because I can't keep tears at bay for this long.

"We could have-." His words drift off as he reaches out a hand as if to touch my face before he thinks better of it and drops his arm.

"Fine. The word is curt and to the point. I watch as the emotion I was so scared of disappear from his eyes, whether it was destroyed or simply hidden away I didn't know. Not that it matters, because the next second he has disappeared. I idly hum a song to myself as I wait to disappear in his wake.

_Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got 'till it's gone._


	13. Outtake:And It's Almost Like A Heartbeat

_****_**Outtake**

**and it's almost like a heartbeat **

_000._

"_Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,_

_But by the moments that take our breath away."  
―Maya Angelou_

* * *

001.

Its starts with a superior smug look on my brother's face and a "you can ride with me Katherine." And suddenly I'm cantering after my brother and the girl that I am positive that I am in love with through the woods of their estate. I think I might be sick if Stefan manages to coax her tinkling laugh out of her one more time and I'm this close to simply turning Amber around so that I don't have to listen to the sound of my brother's triumph.

* * *

002.

Suddenly there's a body and Stefan's new horse is skidding to a stop and dirt is flying but all I can think is _protectprotectprotect, _and it's almost like a heartbeat.

* * *

003.

"Leave me alone Damon, I can get up." I jump back, because something here is not at all as it seems. Stefan's contemplating she's a runaway and I want to hide her away from anyone who could hurt her. The feeling is irrational and I don't know her but she seems to know me.

* * *

004.

Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with the people of Mystic Falls. It seems as if only Stefan and I can see that something is not right. He believes her to be a spy for the union. I believe her to be a very _old_ friend of Katherine's. We are both determined to prove the other wrong. I am losing this never ending competition between brothers, badly. Katherine agreed to attend the celebration with Stefan and even Miss Bonnie Abella declined attending with yours truly.

* * *

005.

She's seen war, or fighting, or death, or a combination of all three that I just can't separate by simply speaking with her. I almost feel bad until I remember my brother and the bodies and the blood and the blasts from the artillery. She's seen something like that and all I wants to do is tell her how much I hated it. But I say nothing and neither does she. It goes from _telltelltell_ back to _protectprotectprotect_ and I'm not quite sure if I hate myself or her for that.

* * *

006.

I see Aidan Fell leering at her from behind and I get the stupid feeling in my chest again that beats at the same rhythm as my heart. _Protectprotectprotect_. I just want Katherine away from my brother and away from George Lockwood, and in my arms. I just want this feeling to go away and I wants to be able to look at her and want to spite her instead of shield her. My attempts fail, makes both ladies angry and I now feel repulsed by myself. I want to hurt anyone who has hurt her and now I have. I need another drink.

* * *

007.

"You drank?" I can tell from her tone that she already knows the answer, that she may have even known this before. She's resigned herself to my actions but I can still feel her disappointment. I can taste it in the air, the same way I can taste her smell. Orange blossom and fresh rain. And I know how bad I want to taste her right now, taste not suck dry, and I shoot glares at Stefan to make sure he doesn't come any closer than he already has. _protectprotectprotect._

* * *

008.

I'm angry and upset and confused and overwhelmed. I just can't deal with all the senses that have now been overpowered and the _thirst_ is getting to me. I am drawn in by the building full of happy healthy people that I could so easily tap into. I hear the laughter and then the gunshot and more laughter and then screams. I can smell the gunpowder and fresh rain and orange blossom mixing together. _protectprotectprotect._

* * *

009.

The Bennett witch thing explains the _protectprotectprotect_ but my awareness of it and its cause do not seem to lessen its potency. I slip in a few words of my father's native language, which I had always been more comfortable with than Stefan, and I feel her shiver. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't remembered velvet and rose water and vanilla (Katherine). But suddenly I'm more angry than romantic and both Bonnie and I will be ruing this day for awhile.

* * *

010.

I'm angry at Sam for even thinking he's good enough for Bonnie, but angrier at myself for telling the others about a girl named Bonnie Abella. She throws her arms around my neck and brings me in for a kiss that is both perfect and horridly inappropriate and I can hear the wolf whistles easily from down the block. I promise her a golden necklace and by God I am going to keep that promise.

* * *

011.

She's yelling at me and I didn't protect her and she's captured and all I can do is leave. I come back the next day and she's gone.

* * *

012.

I'm not quite sure when Bonnie Abella became my back story but she _has_ and I should have known that when she turned up in the west that she would be following me through the rest of my life. But I didn't, and here I am once again stuck in this sticky situation of having the real Bonnie sitting next to me. Suddenly Charles is asking her about my courage and Stefan is smirking at me from across the table and I realize just how deep of a hole I dug myself.

* * *

013.

She said yes. In a completely indecisive and bewildered tone. I know she thinks this is an act, and she acts well. She said yes. The _protectprotectprotect_ beating of my heart is joined by something else.

* * *

014.

"I'll find you again Bonnie." I want to promise her the world and the moon and the stars- more than a simple necklace and much more than I am able to give. But I can't so I stick with filling my own thoughts with comforting promises. I will smell the orange blossoms and fresh rain that follows Bonnie.

"Is that a threat?" Something inside me recoils and I think the _protectprotectprotect _has become even louder and I can't think. _She thinks you will hurt her._

"No, it's a promise." I know any of my pleadings will fall on deaf ears so I give her a farewell. I make sure not to breathe as I kiss her forehead, because if I inhaled her scent I would never be able to leave her side. I climb out the window and I let myself have one small breath in before jumping out.

I don't notice the hint of vanilla, rosewater, and velvet that coats her.

* * *

015.

"You're Bonnie, you're more important than all of them put together." I want her to understand, for her to comprehend just how much her visits mean. Because maybe if she knew, maybe she would stay. I don't deserve it, I don't deserve her- and I know that- but I don't want to be alone anymore. And I don't want any person with me- I want her. I vow to do whatever she tells me to do, because if I do maybe she'll start to get it.

"Just leave Damon-." I'm already gone, because even though she had just cut our meeting to the shortest one yet, I won't break my unspoken promise to her that quickly.

* * *

016.

"We could have…" I trail off because I really have no idea what I wanted to say. We could have been together. We could have been happy? We could have been in love? We could have worked? And then I realize that we could never work- because she will never understand. I would always be trying to be better and she wouldn't make any allowances. Because just as she said, she would never love me.

"Fine." And then it's over- this affair through the years that I never thought would end. It's over now, but I don't feel any relief. I just swallow and nod before taking off. She said I would see her again. I should take less comfort in that then I do.

* * *

017.

It takes years but it's happened. The brief kiss he stole from her before she spoke her piece has changed. It has festered- no longer bringing comfort, just anger and bitterness. He's told himself he's inadequate for too long, and now he just hates her. Or that's what he tells himself. He can't really tell if it's hot or cold anger yet, but he's like to think cold. Because if it's hot it means he cares, but cold is just apathy- and he longs for apathy.

* * *

018.

The first time he sees her she's sitting at a table in a grill, trying to comfort the blonde across from her. All he can do is stare at the back of her head, wondering how in the world she hasn't turned from the weight of his gaze yet.

He realizes what he's doing halfway through the night and he _knows _they've noticed. He decides to take home the blonde, Caroline, because he needs an excuse. And it might make someone, Elena, jealous. And he is going to win Elena. History is not going to repeat itself, he is going to win this one.

* * *

019.

He tries to ignore her all through dinner, and manages to succeed. Even with the orange blossoms and fresh rain. The _protectprotectprotect _seems stronger now, as if it has registered that there are two vampires in the same house as her and she has no way to protect herself.

"Sure, why not." He's kind of talking about the dishes, but he knows his flippant words hold more than that. "Sure, why not" sounds like his life motto. Before and after Bonnie that is. Because when she's there, he has no time or reason to question things and why he does them. Because the answer always is Bonnie.

* * *

020.

He watches her light a single candle, and later a room full of them. She looks scared and confused and oh so _young_. He hates this Bonnie…sort of. She reminds him of his Bonnie, and he oh so wants her to be. But she isn't, so he dislikes her. But he can't hate her, because she does remind him of his Bonnie, and he knows that his Bonnie would never forgive him for hating someone for someone else's actions- even if those actions were her own.

* * *

021.

I'm in a daze after the bite, because I just got much to close. I've been flirting with her skin for as long as I have been back in Mystic Falls, just almost touching my face to hers, my hand grasping the sleeve just above the skin of her wrist. But now I'm here. My lips are on her neck and my arms are wrapped around her. In any other instance I would say that I was home- but I'm not. Because the skin under my lips is being pierced by fangs- my own, and she's screaming as I rip at the veins.

I'm angry at her- and I'm still angry as I pull away. And let's face it- I've never been able to manage my anger effectively- becoming a vampire and intensifying just made that worse. I stumble back and Stefan rushes to her side, healing her with his own blood. I wonder if he remembers the sneer he used to wear on his face whenever he looked at her. It should be me healing her, but it isn't. Because I'm being pinned down by Elena's glare. The _protectprotectprotect_ is gone- Emily broke her side of the deal and her magic prompting is gone. But _savesavesave _pulls in with force as I look at her bloody neck. And right next to it beats something I hadn't truly recognized before now. _lovelovelove_. I'm not good enough for Bonnie- this just proved that- and if I had her telling of the future to go on (which had proved true up to now) I never would be. I looked back at Elena. If I tried- I might be able to be good enough for her.

I would still protect Bonnie. And I'd make sure that she lived long and happy. She's going to grow old with friends and family, and she's going to be safe. Just as I had promised in the icy water next to the unsinkable ship. She couldn't have that with me. I looked at my brother next to her and let out a slow sigh. If I was going to watch Bonnie go through her life while I stayed frozen as I am, I'm definitely going to need to restock the liquor cabinet.

* * *

_Author's Note: If you were confused by where in the story each drabble thingy took place, here's the order:_

1-3 : Chapter 2

4 : Chapter 3

5 : Chapter 4

6 : Chapter 5

7 : Chapter 6

8-9 : Chapter 7

10-11 : Chapter 8

12-13 : Chapter 9

14 : Chapter 10

15 : Chapter 11

16 : Chapter 12

17 : a point in time between 1955 and 2010

18 : The Pilot Episode of Season 1

19 : Season 1 Episode 2: Friday Night Bites

20 : Season 1 Episode 4:Family Ties

21 : Season 1 Episode 9: History Repeating


	14. Outtake: Legacy of a Liar

**Outtake**

**Legacy of a Liar**

_Nothing is easier than to denounce the evil doer;_

_Nothing is more difficult than to understand him._

_-Fyodor Dostoyevsky_

"_Well it's me you should be thanking, I mean, I'm the one who brought the cure." She had watched as her doppelganger kissed Damon and had to hold back gagging. It was like looking back in time, and Katherine hated looking back._

Katherine knew she was a bad person. She killed people. She condemned people. She manipulated people. She lied to people. People that she hated, right along with the people that she had loved and cared about. And she enjoyed it.

_"I thought you were dead."_

Yet sometimes…she wished she were different. Every time she had looked up to see Stefan's slightly glazed over eyes she had felt a stake piercing through her heart. But some things were necessary, and compelling Stefan was one of them.

_"I was."_

But this, this wasn't exactly necessary. And she most definitely not enjoyable. Bonnie's wide eyes made it hard for her to lie to her face. For a moment Katherine just wanted to keep her mouth closed, but she knew she couldn't do that. Well, she could, but she knew that she wouldn't. Because Bonnie was her friend, and she _wanted_to do this for her, so she would.

_"You got free."_

"You could always read me better than any of the others, even better than Pearl." That was true. Bonnie had a knack for reading her. Maybe it was her powers combined with their friendship, or maybe it was the power of time that swirled around Bonnie, or maybe it was just _Bonnie. _She felt her eyes misting over slightly looking at Bonnie. She had to do this. She was going to tell this lie and stick with it for the rest of her existence.

"_Yup, finally."_

"But no, I don't love Damon; he definitely belongs to someone else." She sent Bonnie a wink and turned away, blinking away the tears faster than Bonnie could see them. So maybe she did love Damon, it was an easy thing to do. He was charming, handsome, and he was a good person. But Katherine knew, and she had known for a long time, that as much fun as Damon and her had had with each other, it would never be enough- for either of them.

_"And you still came here."_

And if there was one thing Katherine was not, it was predictable. She couldn't be selfish all the time. She had to change up her habits sometimes, keep people around her on their toes.

_"I owed you one."_

Besides, Katherine loved Stefan, she still did. She knew that if she had to choose, she would choose Stefan in an instant.

"_It's okay to love them both, I __**did**__." She leaves the house without a glance behind her. She would let her little doppelganger stew with that for a week or two before she forces herself back into their lives. She only had to wait for Bonnie for a little longer. That would be the last kiss her clone ever shared with a Salvatore brother. Because Damon belonged to Bonnie, and Katherine knew Stefan would be hers after she saved him from his rather troubling predicament. All she needs is a little time._

Because the thing about Salvatore's is, as soon as you love one brother you love both of them, the trick is choosing which one you're **in** love with and the one you love like a brother, or at least a step brother that you once had sex with.

* * *

_Author's Note: Just to clarify, the italicized is the scene from the season finale when Katherine brings Damon the cure, as well as her thoughts on it. The non italicized is the scene in chapter 10 of Bloodstone, where Katherine tells Bonnie that she doesn't love Damon. Hope you liked it!_


	15. When Your Feet Touch The Ground

_Disclaimer: I think it's pretty obvious from what is going on in the show right now that I do not own Vampire Diaries. _

_Author's Note: I'm not going to even address how horrible I am at updating- moving on. I am also not going to address how bad this chapter is. Just, try to enjoy it and understand what a filler this is. You'll be seeing Katherine/Damon in the next chapters.__ Also, I'm thinking of doing a fanmix for this story- so if you're interested, or if you have a song suggestion (for ANY of the characters) just put it in a review and I'll see it._

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**When Your Feet Touch the Ground**

_Destiny is written the second we are born_

_-Unknown_

* * *

I am welcomed back into my own time with a thud and an 'umph'. The thud is my feet hitting the ground, and the 'umph' is because my knees buckled and I landed on my back, knocking the wind out of me. I don't move for a few tense moments, I'm staring up at the fading light through the trees; half expecting Damon's concerned face to come into my view. Because no matter where I have landed he has always been there, and I hadn't quite realized how much comfort I had taken in that knowledge until now. Minutes pass and the light has almost gone, Damon isn't here. No one is here.

It takes me a full minute to actually realize where _here_ is, but when I do I breathe a sigh of relief. The trees look older than the last time I was here, and the leaves more abundant. But then again, the last time I was here was a hundred and fifty years ago. Something is telling me it's even more than that, but I pay no attention to this feeling. Because I am back in my own time and I feel like leaping and shouting and hugging everyone. Stefan. Elena. Katherine. Caroline. Matt. _Damon._ I want to see Damon.

I take in nature's sounds. The birds and frogs and crickets and the trickle of the stream I hear in the distance. I laugh. I am about to bound into the forest, in the direction of the spot where I had left my car. It is then that I notice the waterproof case hanging by a nail on the largest tree in the circle. The case is swinging slightly, like it has just been placed there by someone in a hurry or as if a sudden breeze knocked it off balance. The case had my name on it.

* * *

_Dear Bonnie,_

_ If this letter reaches you as I hope it will, it has only been a matter of days since we last spoke in Chicago. For you. For me it has been over eighty years. Well, at least since I saw the Bonnie I knew. I saw the Bonnie Bennett of this time a few short days ago. She is nothing like you, and I find it hard to understand that you are the same people. She is even different than the Bonnie Bennett I first met when I arrived. I wonder if something has happened, but I guess I will have to ask you some other time._

_ A hundred and fifty years ago you told me that this exact spot, the place in which Damon, Stefan, and I had found you, was the place that you had performed the spell the first time around. My intuition tells me that you will probably appear in this place once more when you are back in your own time._

_ Things are not doing well Bonnie, we are losing the war that began even before the time in which I entered the fray, when I hung myself five hundred years back. It is a strange emotion, but I almost feel remorse for bringing both you and Stefan into the center of it. I doubt that I will be able to stay out of Klaus' grasp for much longer, for he is angry with me and I know there is no escaping an Original forever. Or at least I thought so before I met you. Now I know there is at least one way._

_ Bonnie, the spell you used was written by Emily __**after**__ you told it to her. She would not have come up with it at all without you. We could never word it exactly right, or use the correct stone. Until you. Only you were supposed to see it, because only you- The last of The Bennett Witches- could have used it successfully. I will have to end this letter soon; Stefan believes himself to be free from Klaus- and has moved on from his regression into the Ripper- but none of us are ever truly free until we stand on even ground. Which is why you return is needed desperately. I can only hope your journey will come to a halt long enough for you to help us. _

_I've missed you, and I hope we will be reunited soon- and that neither of our lives will be in moral peril at that time. And remember, that spell brought you home. Not just here, to you own time, but it brought you home time and time again. Because home is where the heart is- and the spell always managed to bring you to Damon._

_Your Friend,_

_Katherine_

_p.s. If I were you I would not stop by the Salvatore Boarding House on your way to me, that is, unless you have some secret desire to see Damon and Elena fornicating._

_p.p.s. I had meant to break that news to you lightly and kindly. But friendship has never been my forte and I am too rushed to fix it now. I am sorry, for them, for everything. I am out of time. _

_KAT-&BON_

* * *

The letter is written in graceful yet slanted writing. The penmanship that had been trained into her shows, even through the rush that it was obviously written in. The message at the bottom of the page is what worries me though. It makes no sense. Katherine and I were friends, we had both embraced that. But KAT&BON? The name shortening and the ampersand holding them together was a bit much. We were friends, best friends, but we weren't those kinds of friends. Even now that I was back in my own time, or especially now that I'm now back in my own time, we'll never be those types of friends. Friends like Caroline, Elena, and I used to be. Friends that stay up late watching old movies, eating candy, braiding each other's hair while occasionally breaking into song with a hairbrush as the microphone. We would never be like that, but Katherine would never want that either, with me or anyone. So the question is why was it there? Katherine never does anything idly, so it must mean something. Was it a code?

I spot the phone in the box next to the letter and I snatch it up so I can start calculating. K is the eleventh letter in the alphabet and A is the first, and T is the twentieth. 11120. There are too many numbers in the first half for it to make sense. And what about the ampersand holding them all together? It doesn't have a spot in the alphabet. I stare at the keyboard as if trying to decipher the answers from its glowing keys. Surprisingly enough, the keys do hold the answer. With speed I didn't know I had, I typed in the letters on the dial pad that matched those of the message. Both the ampersand and the hyphen explained pretty obviously.

KAT-&BON

528-0266

I press the green call key and am surprised when I do not hear the ringing I was expecting. I just called the phone itself, I'm supposed to listen to its voice mails.

* * *

"_Bonnie, this is Katherine. Fuck, I hope you're Bonnie. Listen, I need you to find me, things aren't going well…"_

The relief of hearing my friend's voice on the other end of the phone is short-lived. I knew she was alive at the time that she had left the message- but not much else. From what she had told me in both the letter and the voicemail I wouldn't be surprised if she had a stake sticking through her heart by now. Hiding directly behind the seeker works in Hide & Go Seek, and Marco Polo, not in the global game of cat and mouse that Klaus and Katherine had been playing since she had first started running. Then again, she was a veteran at this game, she did have a much vaster knowledge on how to play effectively then I did.

In the end it really didn't matter- even if I knew for sure that she had no idea what she was doing I would have followed her instructions. Even when I reached the empty spot where I _knew_ I had parked my car I didn't deter. Instead I mustered up my energy and continued my walk. I was much too languid- the air held that lazy heat the only occurs at the end of summer. The heat that you just want to lay down and soak in. The temptation was actually strong- the time travel was draining and even the hard pavement looked soft and inviting. However- my logical side that told me that even in a little town like Mystic Falls (especially in a vampire infested Mystic Falls actually) it would not be a very wise idea to curl up on the side of the road for an afternoon cat nap.

An hour later I had found my car (conveniently parked in my driveway, who would have guessed?) and was throwing clothing in a duffel bag. It took another hour for me to find myself leaning against my car at a gas station as I filled my tank. Fifteen minutes later I was climbing back into my car, half eaten granola bar in hand, and print out directions in the passenger seat next to me. I was well on my way to finding Katherine. I had barely taken the time to snatch my cell phone off my bedside table before running out of my house. I did shed a tear at the note crumpled at the foot of my bed that didn't looks slept in. My parents and Mary were visiting my dad's side of the family. They hadn't taken me with them.

I hadn't even said goodbye- or hello that is- to either of my best friends. I didn't say goodbye to Damon either- but that doesn't really matter, because he wouldn't exactly be cordial with me. I may have broken him to maintain the future, but had I still broken him.

* * *

"So you're telling me that the Sun and the Moon curse never existed?" Katherine nodded, still rushing in and out of the room, collecting items from seeming everywhere.

"Yes, Klaus and Elijah made it all up so the vampires would be looking for the keys to breaking it. Klaus was the son of a werewolf before he was born- his mother got busy with the neighbors- and is now a hybrid because the curse was broken. He had four siblings, but now has only three. If you kill the original, you kill their entire bloodline. Your gang is going to kill Klaus- and that includes Ganger-you. She's going to be gone now though- you've taken back your place in the timeline. But the point is, we- you really- have to stop it."

"Why, from what you've told me, Klaus is the ultimate bad guy. If we have a chance to stop him, why not take it?"

"Bonnie, we still have no idea which blood line ours originates from. Even if the Salvatore brothers are reckless enough to take that chance, I'm not. So if you don't want me, Caroline, and Damon to die, you have to keep Klaus alive somehow."

"If we take his body, Damon will never except it. He'll know that Klaus is not dead." Katherine nodded again.

"Yeah I know, that's why Damon needs to watch him die- or at least get a firsthand account from Stefan."

"Okay…did anything else happen while I was _away_?" Katherine finally stopped her flustered moments and turned towards Bonnie. Katherine's face was uncharacteristically soft as it eyed her friend. She seemed to hesitate a moment before speaking.

"A lot, actually. I don't know if I could sum it up in a few sentences. But there was lots of drama, of course."

"Would I expect anything else from Mystic Falls?" Katherine let out a laugh before shouldering the bag she had filled.

"I should warn you- Elena's indecision is still ongoing, but at the moment, she's leaning towards _your _Salvatore brother." Bonnie glanced down at her hands, unsure of what to make of the possessive in front of Katherine's referral to Damon. On one hand, she really shouldn't consider him hers, on the other hand, she kind of already did. Katherine paused in the doorway and turned back to the girl on the bed.

"Hey, chin up. We've got a psychopath to save." With that the vampire grasped Bonnie's hand and pulled her into standing position, eliciting a smile and a snort from the witch.


	16. Broken Glass and Shattered Dreams

_Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries in any way shape or form, nor am I affiliated with any of its associates. _

_Author's Note: Here it is, the big Bonnie/Damon meet up. So big it gets its own chapter. Woohoo. _

**Chapter 14**

**Broken Glass and Shattered Dreams**

_And you know that we're doomed._

_My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room._

_-Slow Dancing In A Burning Room_

His head snapped around as soon as I entered the room, his eyes locking with mine. Vampire senses or not, it felt like he had not only known someone was entering the crowded room, but that it was also me. I try to seem interested in the other people at the party. Amazed how even with all the drama in Mystic Falls, anyone important under the age of 25 can be found at a house party on any weekend. He stood up as he saw me, and a second later he is in front of me, and none of the party goers seem to notice that anything is unusual about this.

"Let's not do this," I suggest, quietly because I know he can hear me through the pounding music. I'm trying to project haughtiness and indignation into my words, but I just end up sounding broken. "Let's just get tonight over with, and move on with our lives. We can just forget anything and everything that has happened between us." I go to move away, but his hand encases around my upper arm. His grip isn't tight enough to hurt me, but he squeezed enough the first second to let me know that there is no chance of me breaking free.

"And what exactly happened?" He demanded. I smile benignly, like this is exactly what I want to hear.

"That's exactly the idea Damon: forget. Absolutely nothing happened." His grip tightens for another split second before loosening again, a reminder of who exactly is in charge here.

"I mean what happened in 1955? What made you…?" His firm speech trails off. I know why. He has no idea what to call what I did over a vanilla ice cream cone fifty years ago. I didn't break up with him, we were never together, really, in any way, but I wouldn't say I broke his heart either. Mostly because it is hard imagining Damon Salvatore having a heart to break. Somewhere a voice inside me is calling me a liar, even as I only think these last thoughts.

"You already know what happened, I told you then. Now let me go." I make a desperate attempt to pull away but he doesn't move at all, like stone. I try punching him, but I only have one hand to maneuver and it isn't very strong. I don't dare try to use magic in front of this many people.

"Cut the shit Bonnie, I have been waiting decades to hear this," he pushes me a few feet forwards, before turning away from the crowd a towing me out the front door once more. It doesn't do very much to diminish the noise.

"Even if I wanted to talk to you, I can't talk to you here." The words aren't even fully out of my mouth before I am having a serious Twilight moment where I am flying through the air as a vampire carries me while running. _Crap._

Neither of us says anything as we arrive at the boarding house and he sets me on my feet on the front stoop. The driveway is deserted; there aren't any cars here with the ability to drive me away from Damon. _Double crap._

He moves away from me, leaning on the column on the other side of the stoop. I move a few step backwards to lean on its twin. The distance feels like an inch and a football field of space at the same time. It crosses my mind that he could probably cross both in the same amount of time: half a second.

When I gather the courage to meet his eyes again all I can see in them is pain and loneliness. What had I done? He was in pain, and I wanted to stop it. I wanted to comfort him, and hold him. Except then I remembered, once again, that the pain was my fault. And even if I had not, why would he wish my comfort on himself. What had we shared? A few kisses over a few decades? That was nothing to Damon; it was nothing to most people. So why did it mean so much to me?

There was nothing to be done. His eyes hardened again, I had created the monster. There was nothing to do except put one foot in front of the other, and continue forward on the path I had chosen. _I have made my bed and now I must lay in it. _I wanted to run to him, and I internally scolded myself once more. I had hurt him for his own good, he would be happier in the long run.

We stood staring at each other for what seemed like eternity. Maybe it had been. Maybe I had grown grey and developed wrinkles and a stopped posture while he stayed pristine and perfect, watching me die and relishing in it.

"You're just making this harder for both of us you know." I finally said, my voice was quiet, but, to my relief, not the voice of an eighty year old woman.

"No, this is me making this right." Without another word he pushed off the column and opened the door, holding it open for me and brandishing his hand like a real estate agent. I decide not to wonder if it was his southern manners kicking in, or if he were just mocking me. My _un-wondering_ brain is leaning towards the latter. All wondering aside, I move through the doorway and across the entryway, into the sitting room that is dimly lit by a burning fireplace. Above the glowing logs, embedded in the mantle, is an amber. I hear his footsteps behind me.

"You need to go." He pauses and looks at me with a single raised eyebrow. I remember that this is his territory not mine. At all. I shake my head to clear the thoughts of silly things like _joint ownership_ from my head. "I should go." I move towards the door I just came through.

"No one is leaving. We are going to talk about this Bonnie."

"I have absolutely nothing I want to talk to you about." I lift my chin defiantly.

"I don't care. You aren't leaving until you listen and speak with me, so you might as well get this over with sooner, rather than later." He's not going to let this go. _Triple Crap._

"There's nothing you can say."

"Good, then there is plenty of time for you to explain your reasoning to me."

"I had to do it Damon, we both know that."

"Here's the thing, Bonnie, I don't agree. You didn't have to do anything, and it still makes no sense to me why you would think that you did."

"I knew that in the future you were going to unleash the tomb vampires and find out about Katherine, it was a big growing point in your personality."

"You…because of Katherine? Because you thought I needed to know the bitch didn't love me to grow up? You could have just told me, would have saved this town a whole load of shit." The good best friend part of my brain tells me I should be defending Katherine, but the more rational part of my mind knows that both she and I agree that she _is_ a bitch, and it seems like an irrelevant point in the conversation at the moment.

"And you needed Elena. You were in love with her. You are in love with her," I quickly amended. "She makes you a better person."

"You made me a better person! You made me want to change."

"I never asked you to-." My protests were cut short.

"I know, and that is just the point. You wanted me as myself- or at least I thought you did- and that made me want to change myself to be good enough for you. You made me…_happy._ I needed that. You took that away." He lets out a hollow laugh and stands from his position on the couch. He's pacing, like a caged animal, it subtlety reminds me that Damon is more than the human he portrays. I know my next words will make him lash out like on as well.

"You would have resented me later, for making you settle. You would have fallen for Elena-but would have still been stuck with me."

"I wasn't settling for you. Stop making yourself out to be some ball and chain burden I have to carry around. You talk about how Elena and Katherine are perfect, but they're not. Far from it really. And you're right, you aren't perfect. But you could have been just right for me, and I wouldn't have had you any other anyway." He pauses for a moment. "I actually might have liked you a little more selfish, you might have stuck around with me longer."

"Damon, feelings change. You may feel," I pause, searching for the correct word. "Infatuated with me at the moment but-." My argument is cut off with his incredulous expression.

"Infatuated?"

"Yes, infatuated. As in besotted, or smitten."

"It's been a hundred years Bonnie! These feelings aren't something I'm reminded of every thirty years when I see my brother again; this isn't like whatever I felt for Katherine. This is not _infatuation_. I never would have wished for anything else. You were everything!" The past tense of his words felt like a slap in the face. He was fighting dirty, and it was working, tears were pricking my eyes. I had no doubt he could see them, and willed my body to stop being so melodramatic.

"The fact that you are already saying these words in past tense says that you really should be thanking me. Now you'll never wish you had done something differently, you will never have to. You won't have to sigh and roll your eyes behind my back for the next sixty years while I change and whither and you stay beautiful." I absently stroke his cheek with the palm of my hand. I almost hadn't touched him, scared that he would flinch away from my touch, but my hand had continued until it reached his cheek. I would likely never be this close to him again and I would not waste any opportunities presented while I still had them.

He tensed almost imperceptibly, and I was terrified that my fears may have been justified, but they weren't. At first I thought he hadn't moved, but I felt the slightest pressure on my hand, and I realized he was leaning into my touch, seemingly craving the same contact. I swallowed as he stared, neither of us moving before I tuck a stray strand of dark hair behind his ear, breaking the spell.

The fire rekindled in his eyes, I leaned away- hoping distance would help my quick and silent self made promise not to touch him again. Damon wasn't having it. He took a step closer as I moved away. For a moment I thought we were going to continue this cliché until my back hit the wall. But Damon never was one for patience and I found myself soaring through the air before being pushed against the wall in under a second. His hot breath on my neck for a moment before his mouth moved to my ear and words fell out of it in the infuriating way that made something stir at the pit of my stomach and my knees grow wobbly.

"If you had stayed-"

"Damon, I couldn't have stayed." My voice sounds dead. The numbness was back.

"If you had just told me to wait for you-"

"I was from the future; I knew that you were going to fall in love with Elena."

"This isn't about Elena! If you hadn't left I never would have met her at all."

"I had to leave." Damon rubbed the bridge of his nose, something he only does when he is _truly_ frustrated. I should be wondering if I'm even safe in this house alone with him when he's in this foul mood, but I don't. Damon is not a threat to me.

"Yes, Bonnie, you had to go. You had to leave. You had to do a lot of shit. But Bonnie you didn't have to _leave_ me! You just gave up. I would have fought for this, for you, and you know that. But it…you- you never had any faith in us, or me. And I am so…_angry_ at you, because you gave up. You let go of me so _easily_, and I can never do the same. Because I thought I loved Katherine, and I deluded myself into thinking I could love Elena. And I have compelled a thousand girls to look at me and say those three words and mean them. But in the end, the only face I ever really see saying them is yours. Because, I love _you_." I think I see his heart being torn open as he says this, pouring so much _feeling_ into the words I don't know if I would still be standing if he weren't pressing me up against a wall. _Just like old times._ And it is this stray thought, of Lincoln and huge silk dresses, which ruins me.

"You told me once, in 1864, that I would rue the day we ever met." I mean to say more but my words trail off and you can only hear the two of us breathing. His exasperated exhale comes through his teeth, like a hiss, as he pushes away from me. I was right about him being the only thing holding me up, and I slide down the wall as he moves away.

"This is your problem Bonnie. When you were in the past your mind was always stuck in how I was in the present. And now that we're in the present you're stuck with me in the past." He pours himself a glass of bourbon and stares down at the glass for moment. "I can't deal with this. I have to get back to the _party._" and then he's gone, so fast that my mind doesn't really register it until I hear the bourbon filled glass hit the floor and shatter.

I feel like I should feel something, but I don't. My heart should be breaking, the earth should be imploding, and the floor should be splitting open to welcome me to a fiery death in hell. But none of this happens, and I don't feel angry, or sad, or fazed at all. I just feel…empty.

I try to squeeze my hands together, hard, and I pinch myself a few times, hoping the physical pain will bring something back into the emptiness. It doesn't work. The first thing I feel is something wet on my cheek. I'm crying. I'm not really sure why. I stare at the shattered glass and somewhere in my brain a voice says; _that's you. That's what you look like right now, inside._ But I don't know why. I wipe away the first few tears and stare at them until my vision is to blurry to see anymore. I stay, back against the wall in the Salvatore Boarding house, staring at a glass that is on the ground in front of a fireplace that has an amber adorning its arch. I stay here for moments, or hours, or days.

I think a lot about breathing, the in and out that should come naturally. But once you start thinking about breathing it's hard to keep breathing, as if thinking about it knocks your body out of its normal rhythm. It helps keep my mind off Damon and when the hell I started to feel this way- and how I hadn't noticed how he felt.

I stay there until someone who reminds me of Stefan, and may very well be Stefan himself comes in. He tries to speak to me, and somewhere something inside me registers the kind voice. I can't muster myself enough to respond. I have another Twilightmoment, where I realize I'm acting like Bella Swan and turning into a comatose zombie because my vampire (sort of, but not really) boyfriend left me. I hear a phone call occurring before I'm scooped up and carried up a set of stairs. I'm tucked into a bed upstairs that isn't mine, but it smells like_ home_.


End file.
